Population grew less in the first quarter of 2024

Migration balance 27 thousand, natural growth -7 thousand

In the first quarter, 74.8 thousand people settled in the Netherlands and 47.7 thousand people moved abroad. On balance, 27.1 thousand people were added through foreign migration. That is 8.0 thousand fewer than in the first quarter of last year. This is because immigration has decreased by 5.7 thousand and emigration has increased by 2.3 thousand.

40.0 thousand children were born and 47.2 thousand people died. The natural increase therefore amounted to -7.2 thousand, which is comparable to last year. Both the number of live births (+ 1.0 thousand) and the number of deaths (+ 600) were slightly higher than in the same period last year.

Especially fewer European migrants

The net migration (immigration minus emigration) from European countries in particular was lower than a year earlier. This is partly because fewer refugees came from Ukraine, but the migration balance also fell from almost all other European countries. On balance, fewer migrants came from outside Europe in the first quarter.

Most immigrants came from Europe, but because the number of European emigrants was also the largest, on balance most immigrants came from Asia.

The countries where the most migrants came from on balance in the first quarter of 2024 are Syria (5.7 thousand), Ukraine (3.6 thousand), Turkey (2.3 thousand), Poland (1.0 thousand) and Romania (1.0 thousand).

7 out of 10 emigrants return to their country of birth

Of the people who emigrated in the first quarter, it is known where they left for 40.0 thousand people. Of those who were not born in the Netherlands, 86 percent went to the continent where they were born and 69 percent left for the actual country of birth. There are major differences between origin groups. Of the born Europeans (excluding the Netherlands), 96 percent emigrated to another European country, and of the Africans, 50 percent returned to the continent where they were born. Emigrants born in the Netherlands usually stayed within Europe.