How many people live in the Netherlands right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
18,476,987
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 71 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.22%
- Median age
- 41.5 years
- Children per woman
- 1.44
- Life expectancy
- 82.6 years
- People per km²
- 548
According to UN estimates, about 18.5 million people live in the Netherlands right now. It ranks 71st out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Romania and Ecuador, and it is home to one in every 450 people on the planet.
Every day, about 480 people are born there and about 470 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 89,400 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 260 people a day (0.51% a year).
In 1950, about 10.1 million people lived there. Since then, the population has grown by 83%. The UN expects it to peak around 2041, at about 19.1 million, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 19.0 million people (3% more than today), and by 2100 about 17.5 million.
Half of its people are younger than 42 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.44 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 83 years (worldwide, 74). There are 548 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of the Netherlands in 2026?
- The Netherlands has about 18.5 million people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 18,448,775.
- How many people are born each day in the Netherlands?
- About 480 a day (176,000 a year). About 470 people die each day (171,000 a year).
- Is the population of the Netherlands growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.51% a year, or about 94,100 people.
- What will the population of the Netherlands be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 19.0 million, with a peak around 2041 at about 19.1 million.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Senegal 19,505,022
- Guatemala 19,055,578
- Romania 18,766,007
- Ecuador 18,493,702
- Cambodia 18,113,972
- Zimbabwe 17,376,471
More countries in Europe
- Russia 143,283,433
- Germany 83,580,384
- United Kingdom 70,045,968
- France 66,775,474
- Italy 58,850,895
- Spain 47,835,423
- Ukraine 39,443,586
- Poland 37,796,208
- Romania 18,766,007
- Belgium 11,779,073
- Sweden 10,713,760
- Czechia 10,520,787
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.