The current population of the Netherlands is 18,438,985 as of Tuesday, April 14, 2026, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data¹.
the Netherlands 2026 population is estimated at 18,448,775 people at mid-year.
the Netherlands population is equivalent to 0.22% of the total world population.
the Netherlands ranks number 71 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
The population density in the Netherlands is 547 per Km² (1,417 people per mi²).
The total land area is 33,720 Km² (13,019 sq. miles).
88.89% of the population is urban (16,398,959 people in 2026)
The median age in the Netherlands is 41.5 years.

1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of the Netherlands (2026 and historical)

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Netherlands Global Rank
2026	18,448,775	0.56%	101,956	89,379	41.5	1.44	547	88.9%	16,398,959	0.22%	8,300,678,395	71
2025	18,346,819	0.65%	118,077	104,681	41.5	1.44	544	88.9%	16,318,658	0.22%	8,231,613,070	71
2024	18,228,742	0.75%	136,218	121,628	41.4	1.43	541	89.1%	16,233,370	0.22%	8,161,972,572	71
2023	18,092,524	1.05%	188,103	144,558	41.4	1.43	537	89.2%	16,143,184	0.22%	8,091,734,930	70
2022	17,904,421	0.76%	133,845	224,472	41.5	1.51	531	89.6%	16,048,486	0.22%	8,021,407,192	68
2020	17,636,731	0.61%	105,860	67,598	41.5	1.54	523	89.9%	15,847,281	0.22%	7,887,001,292	67
2015	17,107,433	0.4%	67,240	55,585	41.2	1.66	507	89.3%	15,273,879	0.23%	7,470,491,872	65
2010	16,771,235	0.37%	61,105	33,703	39.7	1.79	497	86.7%	14,536,474	0.24%	7,021,732,148	62
2005	16,465,710	0.5%	81,390	−22,496	37.9	1.71	488	82.1%	13,524,212	0.25%	6,586,970,132	60
2000	16,058,760	0.63%	98,746	59,308	36.2	1.72	476	76.2%	12,230,482	0.26%	6,171,702,993	59
1995	15,565,032	0.7%	106,831	15,056	34.7	1.53	462	72.4%	11,261,960	0.27%	5,758,878,982	55
1990	15,030,878	0.67%	98,384	53,564	33.3	1.61	446	68.4%	10,278,933	0.28%	5,327,803,110	52
1985	14,538,959	0.53%	75,255	27,356	31.9	1.51	431	66.6%	9,683,586	0.30%	4,868,943,465	51
1980	14,162,686	0.7%	96,530	54,010	30.3	1.6	420	64.7%	9,160,398	0.32%	4,447,606,236	48
1975	13,680,035	0.94%	125,591	68,569	28.4	1.67	406	63.2%	8,645,480	0.34%	4,070,735,277	44
1970	13,052,078	1.19%	150,191	32,438	27.5	2.57	387	61.4%	8,017,334	0.35%	3,694,683,794	40
1965	12,301,125	1.38%	162,843	19,444	27.5	3.03	365	60.5%	7,441,237	0.37%	3,334,533,703	38
1960	11,486,911	1.33%	147,136	−13,235	27.8	3.12	341	59.6%	6,840,932	0.38%	3,015,470,894	36
1955	10,751,230	1.23%	127,495	−6,060	27.6	3.03	319	57.8%	6,209,436	0.39%	2,740,213,792	34

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Netherlands Population Forecast

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	Netherlands Global Rank
2030	18,757,217	0.44%	82,080	61,367	42	1.46	556	88.9%	16,670,530	0.22%	8,569,124,911	72
2035	18,977,352	0.23%	44,027	45,248	42.8	1.48	563	89%	16,895,053	0.21%	8,885,210,181	73
2040	19,062,983	0.09%	17,126	40,717	43.7	1.49	565	89.1%	16,990,243	0.21%	9,177,190,203	77
2045	19,041,975	−0.02%	−4,202	38,658	44.6	1.5	565	89.2%	16,982,955	0.20%	9,439,639,668	77
2050	18,958,475	−0.09%	−16,700	37,497	45.5	1.51	562	89.3%	16,927,938	0.20%	9,664,378,587	77

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Netherlands Demographics (2026)

Main Page: Demographics of the Netherlands

Life Expectancy

82.6 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality Rate

2.9

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Deaths under age 5

3.4

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in the Netherlands

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank	Urban Area	Population Estimate (2025)
1	Amsterdam	1,235,985
2	Rotterdam	1,023,590
3	The Hague	886,444
4	Utrecht	519,200
5	Eindhoven	288,852
6	Leiden	278,667
7	Dordrecht	265,349
8	Haarlem	215,404
9	Tilburg	202,735
10	Heerlen	197,633
11	Nijmegen	193,964
12	Arnhem	193,393
13	Amersfoort	188,879
14	Almere	187,277
15	Breda	180,033
16	Groningen	177,296
17	Alkmaar	173,147
18	's-Hertogenbosch	145,567
19	Zoetermeer	137,440
20	Apeldoorn	136,166
21	Enschede	133,294
22	Heemskerk	132,601
23	Maastricht	128,912
24	Zwolle	121,590
25	Leeuwarden	96,596
26	Helmond	91,530
27	Purmerend	87,320
28	Deventer	85,875
29	Hilversum	85,858
30	Gouda	79,190
31	Hoorn	76,017
32	Hengelo	74,051
33	Lelystad	70,735
34	Alphen aan den Rijn	70,132
35	Veenendaal	66,043
36	Almelo	65,243
37	Roosendaal	64,012
38	Bergen op Zoom	62,764
39	Oss	61,111
40	Ede	59,108
41	Hoofddorp	58,153
42	Bussum	54,923
43	Waalwijk	51,469
44	Zeist	50,197

More info

Notes

The Netherlands Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Netherlands delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Netherlands (1950 - 2026) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2026.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2026. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly % Change: For 2026: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2026: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by the Netherlands in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Netherlands Population (LIVE)