This is evident from population growth figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The population grew by 19.8 thousand people, about 7.6 thousand less than in the first quarter of 2023.
Migration is the main reason for that decline. “Immigration was lower and emigration higher compared to the first quarter of 2023,” says CBS researcher Tanja Traag. ‘That negative migration balance largely explains why growth was less than in the first quarter of last year.’
About the author
Jasper Daams is a general reporter for de Volkskrant.
For example, 74.8 thousand people came to the Netherlands in the first quarter of this year, while 47.7 thousand went abroad. A net migration of 27.1 thousand newcomers, eight thousand less than a year earlier. “That is not surprising,” said Traag. “Generally speaking, periods of high immigration are followed by periods of high emigration, because people who come here don’t all stay permanently.”
Population growth through migration is a charged political topic. At the beginning of this year, the independent State Commission on Demographic Developments advised future cabinets to slow down population growth. If this does not happen, part of the population will lose access to housing, education and care, the committee warned.
Statistics Netherlands also looks at birth and death rates for population growth. For about two years now, more residents have been dying than babies have been born, meaning there is no longer any natural growth. In the past quarter, 47.2 thousand people died, compared to 40 thousand births.
“The number of births has been decreasing since 2010,” says Traag. ‘The average age at which people have children is increasing. This is due to all kinds of factors: for example, because highly educated women want to have a career first, or because the current housing market makes it impossible to start a family.’ On the other hand, the aging population is causing the number of deaths to increase.
According to Traag, it is difficult to predict how population growth will develop in the near future. ‘Because immigration depends on various factors. For example, look at the war in Ukraine, which caused a huge increase in immigrants. But policies on labor and study migration and family reunification also influence the figures.’
