Population growth slows for third consecutive year

In 2025, 307 thousand people came to live in the Netherlands while 212 thousand left the Netherlands to live elsewhere. On balance, therefore, the population of the Netherlands grew by 95 thousand due to net migration. However, the number of births and deaths also affect the population. Since 2022, the death rate in the Netherlands has exceeded the birth rate, leading to a natural rate of decline in the population. In 2025, there were 7.5 thousand more deaths than births.

Overall, the population of the Netherlands continued to grow in 2025, but that growth levelled off for the third consecutive year. There was a peak in immigration in 2022, due to the large number of refugees arriving from Ukraine in that year. A total of 132 thousand residents were added in 2023, and 101 thousand in 2024.

Fewer migrants from Europe and Asia

In 2025, net migration (immigration minus emigration) among migrants of European origin, was down once again. Immigration fell from 149 thousand to 141 thousand people, while emigration fell by less (from 115 thousand to 114 thousand). As a result, net migration to and from Europe (excluding the Netherlands) led to population growth of 27 thousand. That was less than in the previous two years. Specifically, fewer people of Polish origin came to live in the Netherlands, with more Poles leaving in 2025 than arriving (-1.1 thousand). There were also far fewer European migrants coming from Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and the UK.

Net migration from Asia also fell, from 60 thousand to 55 thousand. That was because the number of immigrants decreased slightly while the number of people leaving the Netherlands increased slightly. The decrease was sharpest among migrants of Chinese origin, followed by those from India and Iran.

The number of migrants from African countries increased slightly, on balance, from 15 thousand to 16 thousand.

Syrians still the largest group of migrants

Migrants from Syria constituted the largest group arriving in the Netherlands, just as they did in 2024; however, the net number of Syrians arriving did not increase. Most Syrians arriving in the Netherlands are refugees who apply for asylum. Net migration among Syrians was over 23 thousand in 2025, slightly less than in 2024. This was because more Syrians left the Netherlands, while the number arriging remained the same.

Ukrainians were the second-largest group of migrants, after Syrians. Net migration among Ukrainians was 13 thousand: 28 thousand Ukrainians arrived in the Netherlands, while 15 thousand left the country. In 2022, the year in which Russia invaded Ukraine, net migration among Ukrainians was 83 thousand.

Death rate is higher than birth rate

Nearly 166 thousand babies were born in the Netherlands in 2025, about the same number as in 2024. The average fertility rate remained low at 1.42 children per woman, around the same as it was in 2024 (1.43). At the same time, almost 173 thousand people died - over 2 thousand more than in 2024. This was mainly because of the growing number of elderly people.