Population growth almost doubled in 2022

A crowded shopping street in Amsterdam.
© ANP / Ramon van Flymen
The population of the Netherlands is estimated to have increased by almost 227 thousand last year, to over 17.8 million. The increase is almost double compared to 2021, when 115 thousand inhabitants were added. Immigration was up in particular. Over a quarter of the immigrants were from Ukraine. The number of births was lower than in 2021. These are figures obtained from the latest estimates by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The population growth in 2022 is entirely on account of external migration. Natural increase (births minus deaths) is not or hardly expected to have contributed to population growth, as births and deaths almost balanced each other out. The final figures are still subject to revision due to developments over the last few weeks of the year.

Population dynamics
Periode2019 (x 1,000)2020 (x 1,000)2021 (x 1,000)20221) (x 1,000)
Total population growth12568115227
Live births170169179168
Deaths152169171169
Immigration269221253402
Emigration2)161152145174
1)Estimate 2)Including administrative corrections

Population growth due to external migration

Last year, 402 thousand immigrants settled in the Netherlands; 150 thousand more than in the previous year. The increase was largely due to the situation in Ukraine. Especially in the first months following Russia’s invasion on 24 February 2022, relatively many people settled here who came from Ukraine. Some have left again in the meantime, the majority returning to Ukraine. As at 1 December, altogether 89 thousand Ukrainians were registered with a Dutch municipality.
Emigration rose as well, albeit less steeply. On balance, net migration is expected to have added 228 thousand inhabitants. Without the migration to and from Ukraine, this still exceeded the level of 2021.

Population dynamics
PeriodeTotal population growth (x 1,000)Natural increase (x 1,000)Net migration (x 1,000)
1995705514
1996735217
1997875728
19981066243
19991046040
20001236654
20011186251
2002876024
200365580
20044757-16
20052952-27
20062450-31
20074748-6
2008804926
2009895134
2010814833
2011754430
2012493514
2013503019
2014713635
2015782355
20161022479
20171002081
20181011586
201912518108
202068068
20211158107
2022*227-2228
*estimate

More migrants from Asia, apart from Ukraine

Most of the immigrants from Ukraine were born either in Ukraine or in another post-Soviet state. Consequently, this group increased the most. Migration from Asia also increased sharply, with immigration significantly higher than one year previously, but emigration still lagging behind. The top five largest migrant groups were those from Syria (on balance 15.2 thousand January through November), Turkey (11.4 thousand) and India (10.4 thousand). Migrants born in Poland were the fifth largest group. In 2021, this group still ranked second behind Syrian migrants. Among Dutch-born people, more people emigrated than remigrated in 2022: in the period January through November, on balance 15.2 thousand people emigrated. This is almost 9 thousand more than in the previous year. In 2020, the first year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, fewer people emigrated and net migration was temporarily positive.

Net migration by country of birth, January-November inclusive
Periode2022 (x 1,000)2021 (x 1,000)2020 (x 1,000)2019 (x 1,000)
Former Soviet Union95.86.53.46.7
Asia3)59.536.313.531.6
Europe2)48.243.428.744.8
America and Oceania16.913.18.214.9
Africa16.510.47.912.3
Netherlands1)-15.2-6.33.6-3.8
1)Born in the Netherlands or abroad, with both parents Dutch-born 2)Excl. the Netherlands, Turkey and former Soviet-Union states 3)Incl. Turkey

Fewer births, no natural increase

There were 168 thousand live births in 2022, almost 11 thousand fewer than in the previous year. The current fertility rate is in line with the declining trend (since 2010), and is expected to reach an average of 1.49 births per woman. This is similar to births in the early 1980s, when the fertility rates were at an all-time low. In other countries around Europe as well, fewer children were born in 2022, following a brief upturn in 2021. Mortality was still relatively high at the same time, with excess mortality for much of the year. The number of deaths is estimated at 169 thousand, more or less equal to the number of births. As a result, the population did not grow through natural increase, it is expected.

Sources

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