Population and population dynamics by month; 1995-2018

Table explanation

Description topics

Population stock and flow

Population stock:
Size and composition of the population and its components at a given time.

Break in series: late reports
Until 2010, reports on events taking place in a certain year received by Statistics Netherlands after 15 February in the following year were disregarded. These are so-called late reports.
As a result of an improvement in the production process, from 2010 these late reports are included in the year of publication (i.e. not in the year the event took place, but in the year the results are published).

Population flow:
Changes in population numbers as a result of births, deaths, immigration, emigration, administrative and other corrections.

Population:
The population figures (numbers of inhabitants) shown in this publication relate to the resident ('de jure') population: persons who reside habitually in the Netherlands and who are recorded in the municipal population registers. In principle all those residing in the Netherlands for an indefinite period are entered into the population register of the municipality where they usually live.

Total population growth

Population growth:
The increase or decrease of the population.

Persons who moved within the same mun...

Persons who moved within the same municipality.

Someone who moved within a municipality:
A person who moved from one address in a municipality to another address in the same municipality.

Births

Break in series: late reports
Until 2010, reports on events taking place in a certain year received by Statistics Netherlands after 15 February in the following year were disregarded. These are so-called late reports.
As a result of an improvement in the production process, from 2010 these late reports are included in the year of publication (i.e. not in the year the event took place, but in the year the results are published).

Live births: marital status mother

Live births by marital status of the mother.
As from 2010, provisional figures by rank number are no longer available, but definite numbers will be added to the table on an annual basis.

Break in series marital status
From 2010 onwards a small shift has occured between a number of marital statuses (fewer never married and more married, divorced and widowed respectively).
Because information on some marital statuses was lacking for the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, 'partnership', 'divorced after partnership' and 'widowed after partnership' were not included in these statistics for this period. For these statistics, the marital status before the partnership was used instead, which was mostly 'never married'.
From 2010 all marital statuses are available.

Live birth:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.

Marital status:
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.

Registered partnership:
A relationship that is similar to marriage and is registered in the Municipal Population Register.
Both couples of the same and of different sex may have this type of relationship registered.
Registered partnership was introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 1998.

Total live births

Marital

Marital birth:
Birth where the mother is married at the time of birth, or a birth from a widow whose male or female partner passed away less than 306 days before the birth.

Married:
Since 2010: legal marriages plus registrated partnerships.
In the period 1998-2010: legal marriages.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. As a result, data referring to this period are presented excluding partnerships.
Until 1998: legally married.

Legally married:
Marital status resulting from having married legally. Including judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.

Non-marital, total

Non-marital birth:
The mother is never married, divorced or widowed at the moment of birth.
If the mother was married and the marriage (or registered partnership) was dissolved by the death of her partner less than 306 days before she gave birth, the birth is considered within marriage (or registered partnership).

Never married:
Since 2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before or has never signed partnership contract.
In the period 1998-2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married or has never signed partnership contract.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands 'widowed after registered partnership' and 'divorced after registered partnership' are ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies that the marital status prior to the partnership - usually unmarried - is used.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before.

Married:
Since 2010: legal marriages plus registered partnerships.
In the period 1998-2010: legally married.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands, registered partnerships were ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. As a result, data referring to this period are presented excluding registered partnerships.
Until 1998: legally married

Legally married:
Marital status resulting from having married legally. Including judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.

Divorced:
Since 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: divorced after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands (divorced after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding divorced after registered partnership and including registered partnership after divorce.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage

Divorced after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Divorced after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.

Widowed:
Since 2010: widowed after legal marriage plus widowed after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: widowed after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands (widowed after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding widowed after registered partnership and including registered partnership after being widowed.
Until 1998: widowed after legal marriage.

Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.

Widowed after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.

Non- marital, 1st children

Non-marital live born first children from the mother.

Non-marital birth:
The mother is never married, divorced or widowed at the moment of birth.
If the mother was married and the marriage (or registered partnership) was dissolved by the death of her partner less than 306 days before she gave birth, the birth is considered within marriage (or registered partnership).

Never married:
Since 2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before or has never signed partnership contract.
In the period 1998-2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands 'widowed after registered partnership' and 'divorced after registered partnership' are ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies that the marital status prior to the partnership - usually unmarried - is used.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before.

Married:
Since 2010: legal marriages plus registered partnerships.
In the period 1998-2010: legally married.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding registered partnership.
Until 1998: legally married.
Since 2010: legal marriages plus registered partnerships.
In the period 1998-2010: legally married.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding registered partnership.
Until 1998: legally married.

Legally married:
Marital status resulting from having married legally. Including judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.

Divorced:
Since 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: divorced after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands (divorced after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding divorced after registered partnership and including registered partnership after divorce.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.

Divorced after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Divorced after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.

Widowed:
Since 2010: widowed after legal marriage plus widowed after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: widowed after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands (widowed after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding widowed after registered partnership and including registered partnership after being widowed.
Until 1998: widowed after legal marriage.

Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.

Widowed after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.

Non- marital, 2nd or following children

Non-marital live born second or following children from the mother.

Non-marital birth:
The mother is never married, divorced or widowed at the moment of birth.
If the mother was married and the marriage (or registered partnership) was dissolved by the death of her partner less than 306 days before she gave birth, the birth is considered within marriage (or registered partnership).

Never married:
Since 2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before or has never signed partnership contract.
In the period 1998-2010: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands 'widowed after registered partnership' and 'divorced after registered partnership' are ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies that the marital status prior to the partnership - usually unmarried - is used.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that a person has never been married before.

Married:
Since 2010: legal marriages plus registered partnerships.
In the period 1998-2010: legally married.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding registered partnership.
Until 1998: legally married

Legally married:
Marital status resulting from having married legally. Including judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.

Widowed:
Since 2010: widowed after legal marriage plus widowed after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: widowed after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by statistics Netherlands (widowed after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding widowed after registered partnership and including registered partnership after being widowed.
Until 1998: widowed after legal marriage.

Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.

Widowed after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.

Divorced:
Since 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after registered partnership.
In the period 1998-2010: divorced after legal marriage.
As marital status is not always available in the source files used by Statistics Netherlands (divorced after) registered partnership is ignored in this statistics in the period 1998-2010. This implies excluding divorced after registered partnership and including registered partnership after divorce.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.

Divorced after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.

Divorced after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.

Migration

Migration:
A move between two geographic entities resulting in a change of municipality or country.

Trend break external migration figures
As a result of improvements in the production process, a minor shift has taken place in the external migration figures. With effect from 2010, the following changes have been implemented:
- administrative entries which are preceded by emigration are now counted towards immigration;
-administrative removals which are followed by immigration are now counted towards emigration.
The improvements in the production process have led to a significant reduction in the number of ‘other corrections’ on balance as of 2010.
For some immigrants and emigrants, the country of birth is unknown in the provisional figures. From January 2014 onwards, the country of birth is estimated for these groups (for immigrants, country of origin is considered country of birth and for emigrants, country of destination is considered country of birth).

Break in series: late reports
Until 2010, reports on events taking place in a certain year received by Statistics Netherlands after 15 February in the following year were disregarded. These are so-called late reports.
As a result of an improvement in the production process, from 2010 these late reports are included in the year of publication (i.e. not in the year the event took place, but in the year the results are published).

External migration: country of b...

External migration by country of birth.

External migration:
People who moved to the Netherlands (immigration) or inhabitants who leave The Netherlands (emigration).

Inhabitant:
Someone belonging to the population living in The Netherlands.
In the population statistics compiled by Statistics Netherlands the inhabitants are the people registered in the population register, whose address is located in that area.

Country of birth:
The country where a person is born.
Until 2010, persons whose country of birth was unknown were assumed to have the same country of birth as their father or mother (if their country of birth was known). Since 2010, this procedure is discontinued in the provisional monthly figures. As a result, the number of persons whose country of birth is unknown has increased. This may affect the provisional figures of all countries of birth in the table.

Trend break external migration figures
As a result of improvements in the production process, a minor shift has taken place in the external migration figures. With effect from 2010, the following changes have been implemented:
- administrative entries which are preceded by emigration are now counted towards immigration;
-administrative removals which are followed by immigration are now counted towards emigration.
The improvements in the production process have led to a significant reduction in the number of ‘other corrections’ on balance as of 2010.
For some immigrants and emigrants, the country of birth is unknown in the provisional figures. From January 2014 onwards, the country of birth is estimated for these groups (for immigrants, country of origin is considered country of birth and for emigrants, country of destination is considered country of birth).

Immigration

People moving to the Netherlands from another country.
Immigration relates to all individuals arriving in the Netherlands whose arrival result in entries in a municipal population register.
The criteria are a residency for at least four months in the forthcoming six months.

Countries

The Netherlands

(former) Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

Aggregate of the countries belonging to the territory of the Netherlands Antilles up to 10 October 2010 and Aruba. These countries are Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten and Aruba.
The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10 October 2010, as all the islands now have a new status. From 10 October the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
Curaçao and St Maarten are new countries within the Kingdom; they are autonomous countries with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom. The countries have autonomous government, and are now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.
The public bodies Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, also called the Dutch Caribbean, are more closely connected with the Netherlands and function as 'special municipalities'.

On 1 January 1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a new autonomous country with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has autonomous government, and is now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.

Other countries

Total immigration minus Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belgium, China, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Poland, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Including country of birth unknown.

Emigration

People leaving for another country.

Emigration including administrative c...

Emigration including administrative corrections.
Data on emigration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of emigration than data on emigration excluding net administrative corrections.

Emigration:
People leaving for another country.
Emigration relates to all individuals departing from the Netherlands, whose departure result in removals from the Netherlands population registers. The criteria for removal from the registers are 8 months abroad in the following 12 months.

Administrative correction:
Entries in and removals from the municipal population register for reasons other than birth, death, arrival, departure or municipal boundary change.
The greater part of these corrections relates to the processing of either the departures of persons who did not notify the local authorities or the subsequent arrivals.

Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.

Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.

Countries

The Netherlands

(former) Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

Aggregate of the countries belonging to the territory of the Netherlands Antilles up to 10 October 2010 and Aruba. These countries are Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten and Aruba.
The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10 October 2010, as all the islands now have a new status. From 10 October the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
Curaçao and St Maarten are new countries within the Kingdom; they are autonomous countries with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom. The countries have autonomous government, and are now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.
The public bodies Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, also called the Dutch Caribbean, are more closely connected with the Netherlands and function as 'special municipalities'.
.
On 1 January 1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a new autonomous country with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has autonomous government, and is now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.

Other countries

Total emigration (including administrative corrections) minus Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belgium, China, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Poland, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Including country of birth unknown.

Emigration excluding administrative c...

Emigration excluding administrative corrections.
Data on emigration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of emigration than data on emigration excluding net administrative corrections.

Emigration:
People leaving for another country.
Emigration relates to all individuals departing from the Netherlands, whose departure result in removals from the Netherlands population registers. The criteria for removal from the registers are 8 months abroad in the following 12 months.

Administrative correction:
Entries in and removals from the municipal population register for reasons other than birth, death, arrival, departure or municipal boundary change.
The greater part of these corrections relates to the processing of either the departures of persons who did not notify the local authorities or the subsequent arrivals.

Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.

Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.

Countries

The Netherlands

(former) Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

Aggregate of the countries belonging to the territory of the Netherlands Antilles up to 10 October 2010 and Aruba. These countries are Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten and Aruba.
The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10 October 2010, as all the islands now have a new status. From 10 October the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
Curaçao and St Maarten are new countries within the Kingdom; they are autonomous countries with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom. The countries have autonomous government, and are now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.
The public bodies Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, also called the Dutch Caribbean, are more closely connected with the Netherlands and function as 'special municipalities'.

On 1 January 1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a new autonomous country with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has autonomous government, and is now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.

Other countries

Total emigration minus Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belgium, China, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Poland, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Including country of birth unknown.

Net migration

Immigration minus emigration.

Immigration:
People moving to the Netherlands from another country.
Immigration relates to all individuals arriving in the Netherlands whose arrival result in entries in a municipal population register.
The criteria are a residency for at least four months in the forthcoming six months.

Emigration:
People leaving for another country.
Emigration relates to all individuals departing from the Netherlands, whose departure result in removals from the Netherlands population registers. The criteria for removal from the registers are 8 months abroad in the following 12 months.

Net migration including administrativ...

Net migration including administrative corrections.
Data on net migration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of net migration than data on net migration excluding net administrative corrections.

Administrative correction:
Entries in and removals from the municipal population register for reasons other than birth, death, arrival, departure or municipal boundary change.
The greater part of these corrections relates to the processing of either the departures of persons who did not notify the local authorities or the subsequent arrivals.

Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.

Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.

Countries

The Netherlands

(former) Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

Aggregate of the countries belonging to the territory of the Netherlands Antilles up to 10 October 2010 and Aruba. These countries are Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maarten and Aruba.
The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10 October 2010, as all the islands now have a new status. From 10 October the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten.
Curaçao and St Maarten are new countries within the Kingdom; they are autonomous countries with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom. The countries have autonomous government, and are now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.
The public bodies Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, also called the Dutch Caribbean, are more closely connected with the Netherlands and function as 'special municipalities'.

On 1 January 1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a new autonomous country with a special status (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has autonomous government, and is now no longer dependent on the Netherlands.

Other countries

Total net migration (including administrative corrections) minus Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Belgium, China, former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Poland, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Including country of birth unknown.

Net migration excluding administrativ...

Net migration excluding administrative corrections.
Data on net migration including net administrative corrections give a better impression of the true level of net migration than data on net migration excluding net administrative corrections.

Administrative correction:
Entries in and removals from the municipal population register for reasons other than birth, death, arrival, departure or municipal boundary change.
The greater part of these corrections relates to the processing of either the departures of persons who did not notify the local authorities or the subsequent arrivals.

Administrative entry:
Decision by a municipality, at the request of the person concerned, to include that person in its population while it has no knowledge of birth, immigration or establishment of that person from another municipality in the Netherlands.

Administrative removal:
Decision by a municipality no longer to include a person in its population, once it has established that the address of the person is unknown, the person cannot be contacted and probably no longer resides in a municipality in the Netherlands.

Countries

The Netherlands