Dutch population still growing but more slowly; Growth mainly outside the Randstad

The Dutch population grew by 103,000 people to 18.05 million inhabitants in 2024, a lower increase than the year before. The population growth decreased in the Randstad and increased in Noord-Brabant, Drenthe, and Overijssel. Flevoland gained the most inhabitants. Population decline happened mainly in Zuid-Limburg, the north of the Netherlands, and along the North Sea coast, according to figures Statistics Netherlands published on Thursday.

The Dutch population growth is solely due to migration. Natural growth has been negative for a few years, with more people dying than babies being born. Due to slightly lower immigration and slightly higher emigration, population growth last year was lower than in 2023 (+132,000 people) and 2022 (+221,000), CBS reported.

Last year, 314,000 people immigrated to the Netherlands (-22,000 compared to 2023), and 205,000 people emigrated (+7,000). Compared to previous years, fewer people came to the Netherlands from other countries in the European Union. EU immigration fell to 106,000, while emigration rose to 87,000. Of immigrants from outside the EU, the number of Syrians increased the most, On balance, almost 24,000 Syrians arrived in the Netherlands, about 6,000 more than in 2023. The number of people from Iraq, Somalia, and Eritrea also increased slightly, while the immigration of Afghans decreased sharply.

Over 165,000 babies were born last year, slightly more than in 2023. Almost 172,000 people died, over 2,000 more than in 2023. “The increased mortality compared to 2023 is the result of the aging population: there are more and more people in the oldest age groups,” CBS said. Natural population growth was negative in two-thirds of Dutch municipalities last year. “Municipalities, where more babies were born than people died, have a relatively young population and are mainly located in the Randstad, in Flevoland, on the Veluwe, and in the north of Overijssel.”

The population grew in 285 of the 342 municipalities. “In 2024, population growth shifted from the Randstad to several regions outside it,” CBS reported. Population growth increased in Noord-Brabant, Zeeland, Drenthe, and Overijssel. In the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, and Utrecht, growth decreased sharply, mainly due to decreased immigration.

Flevoland gained the most inhabitants, followed by Noord-Brabant. The number of Flevoland residents increased due to natural growth, domestic relocations, and, to a lesser extent, foreign migration. In Noord-Brabant, the population growth was exclusively due to foreign migration. “This is partly due to several large asylum centers in the province, but many other Brabant municipalities also grew due to immigration,” CBS said. “Eindhoven, for example, attracted many migrant workers.”

The population shrank in 57 municipalities, mainly on the edges of the country and along the North Sea Coast. Many Zuid-Limburg municipalities and municipalities in the north of the province of Groningen saw their inhabitants decrease. “In Zeeland, growth and decline existed side by side: in Goes and Noord-Beveland, there was strong growth, while the number of inhabitants decreased in Veere, Sluis, and Schouwen-Duivenland,” CBS said. Several municipalities along the North Sea coast, including Bergen, Bloemendaal, and Zandvoort, also experienced population decline.

“The aging population was the main cause of the decline in many municipalities,” CBS said.