Dutch population hits record 17.2 million

The total population of the Netherlands is 17,182,462, according to recent figures by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.

The population of the Netherlands once again saw relatively substantial growth in 2017. Just as in 2016, approximately 100 thousand new residents were added on balance, mainly as a result of foreign migration. This has brought the total to nearly 17.2 million registered inhabitants, according to the latest estimates by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

Foreign migration accounts for more than four-fifths of this population growth. Although not all data over 2017 have been processed, CBS projects that approximately 82 thousand more people settled in the Netherlands than left the country. This number is similar to 2016, with immigration slightly higher (233 thousand) but emigration slightly lower (151 thousand) than in the previous year. The composition of migration flows did change, however.

Population expected to grow further
CBS expects the population of the Netherlands to grow further in the coming years, both in terms of natural growth and migration. In five years from now, i.e. in January 2023, the Netherlands will have 17.5 million inhabitants according to the CBS forecast. However, this is subject to a margin of uncertainty: there is a possibility that the Dutch population will be slightly lower or higher at that time.