Births: key figures
Explanation of symbols
Dataset is not available.
Key figures on fertility, live and stillborn children and multiple births among inhabitants of The Netherlands.
Available selections:
- Live born children by sex;
- Live born children by age of the mother (31 December), in groups;
- Live born children by birth order from the mother;
- Live born children by marital status of the mother;
- Live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother;
- Stillborn children by duration of pregnancy;
- Births: single and multiple;
- Average number of children per female;
- Average number of children per male;
- Average age of the mother at childbirth by birth order from the mother;
- Average age of the father at childbirth by birth order from the mother;
- Net replacement factor.
CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.
Data available from: 1950
Most of the data is available as of 1950 with the exception of the live born children by country of birth of the mother and origin country of the mother (from 2021, previous periods will be added at a later time), stillborn children by duration of pregnancy (24+) (from 1991), average number of children per male (from 1996) and the average age of the father at childbirth (from 1996).
Status of the figures:
All data recorded in this publication are final data.
Changes per 23 November 2023:
None, this is a new table.
This table replaces table 'Birth; key figures, 1950-2022' which has been discontinued. A link to this table is included in section 3.
The following changes have been made:
The topics relating to live born children by migration background of the mother have been replaced by live born children by country of birth (Netherlands, outside the Netherlands) and country of origin of the mother.
When will new figures be published?
In the third quarter of 2024 final figures of 2023 will be published in this publication.
Description topics
- Live born children
- Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
Lesbian parenthood:
The law on lesbian parenthood came into effect on 1 April 2014. From April 2014 onwards the female partner of the biological mother may become the legal parent of the child without a legal adoption procedure. The same data for both mothers are available in the municipal population register.
Statistics Netherlands does not have information about which of the mothers is the biological mother. To obtain data about, for example, the age, number of children and origin of the mother, Statistics Netherlands selects one of the mothers at random.
Lesbian parenthood occurs in less than 0.2% of all births.- By age of the mother (on 31 December)
- Live born children by age of the mother (on 31 December).
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
Age mother (on 31 December)
The number of whole years that have passed between the mother's date of birth and 31 December of the year of birth of her child.- Total live born children
- Younger than 20 years
- 20 to 25 years
- 25 to 30 years
- 30 to 35 years
- 35 to 40 years
- 40 to 45 years
- 45 years or older
- By birth order from the mother
- Live born children by birth order from the mother.
Birth order from the mother:
The position of the child in the ranking of live births from a mother.- Total live born children
- 1st child
- Live born first children from the mother.
- 2nd child
- Live born second children from the mother.
- 3rd child
- Live born third children from the mother.
- 4th or following children
- Live born fourth or following children from the mother.
- By marital status of the mother
- Marital status:
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.
Break in series
From 2010 onwards a small shift has occurred 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, '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.
Never married:
From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Married:
From 2010: legally married and partnership.
1998 to 2010: legally married.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 to 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period.
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:
From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
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 partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
Widowed:
From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
Marriage:
Legal, formally sanctioned living arrangement between two people.
Since 1 April 2001, it is legally possible for people in the Netherlands to marry a person of the same sex.
Registered partnership:
A marriage-like relationship between two people of the opposite or same sex, registered at the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Registered partnership was introduced in The Netherlands on 1 January 1998.- Total live born children
- Mother married
- 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:
From 2010: legally married and partnership.
1998 to 2010: legally married.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 to 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period.
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.
- Mother not married
- Birth where the mother is never married, divorced or widowed at the moment of birth. If the mother was married and the marriage was dissolved by the death of her partner less than 306 days before she gave birth, the birth is considered within marriage.
Never married:
From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Divorced:
From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
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 partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
Widowed:
From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- By mother's origin country
- Country of origin
Characteristic indicating in which country a person was born or where their parents were born.
The origin of persons born abroad is determined by their own country of birth. For people born in the Netherlands, the origin is determined by the parents’ country of birth. When both parents are born abroad, the mother’s country of birth is leading in determining origin. The birth records of the mother are more often known than those of the father. When the mother was born in the Netherlands or the mother’s country of birth is unknown, the father’s country of birth is used.- Mother born in the Netherlands
- Total live born children
- Mother's origin country: Netherlands
- Mother's origin country: Europe (ex. NL)
- Mother's origin country: Europe (excluding the Netherlands)
- Mother's origin country: outside Europe
- Mother born abroad
- Total live born children
- Mother's origin country: Europe (ex. NL)
- Mother's origin country: Europe (excluding the Netherlands)
.
- Mother's origin country: outside Europe
- Average age of the mother
- Average age of the mother at childbirth.
Average age:
The arithmetic mean of all ages.
Age mother:
The number of whole years that have passed between the mother's date of birth and 31 December of the year of birth of her child.- Total, all children
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, all live born children.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- At 1st birth
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, first live born children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- At 2nd birth
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, second live born children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- At 3rd birth
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, third live born children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- At 4th or following birth
- Average age of the mother at childbirth, fourth or following live born children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- Average age of the father
- Average age of the father at childbirth.
Available from 1996.
Average age:
The arithmetic mean of all ages.
Ages of unknown fathers are estimates.
Age father:
The number of whole years that have passed between the father's date of birth and 31 December of the year of birth of his child.
Ages of unknown fathers are estimates.- Total, all children
- Average age of the father at childbirth for all live born children.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.
- At 1st birth from the mother
- Average age of the father at childbirth for all live born first children from the mother.
Live born child:
A baby showing some sign of life after birth, regardless of the duration of pregnancy.