Number of same-sex couples with children six times higher than in 1995

© ANP / Patricia Rehe
  • There were nearly 10 thousand same-sex couples with children in 2024.
  • 90 percent of them are female couples.
  • Most same-sex couples with children live in urban areas.

In early 2024, there were nearly 10 thousand same-sex couples with at least one child living with them. That is a sixfold increase compared to 1995. 90 percent of this group are female couples and 10 percent are male couples. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.

In total, 5 percent of all couples with a child under the age of 25 living at home are same-sex couples with children. Some of the children in these families were born with the help of a sperm donor or surrogate mother, some were adopted, and some were born to one of the parents during a previous relationship. Other forms of parenthood may also exist, such as multi-parenting.

Number of female couples rises almost every year

There were nearly 9 thousand female couples with a child aged under 25 living at home in 2024, compared to around 1.5 thousand in 1995. The number of female couples with children increased almost every year during that period.

The number of male couples with children also rose, from 150 in 1995 to one thousand in 2024. The increase is similar to that of female couples (also sixfold), but the total number is significantly smaller.

Most same-sex couples with children live in or around cities

Same-sex couples with children are a minority group throughout the Netherlands, making up less than 0.8 percent of all couples in every region. The share is somewhat higher in regions with major cities than in more rural regions.

In relative terms, most same-sex couples with children live in the COROP regions of Haarlem, Arnhem/Nijmegen and Amsterdam. In 2024, between 0.7 and 0.8 percent of all couples with children in those areas were same-sex couples. By contrast, relatively few same-sex couples with children (0.3 percent) were living in rural regions like Zuidwest-Friesland, Zuidoost-Friesland and Overig Zeeland.

Male couples with children are significantly older when their first child is born

In 2024, the youngest partner in a male couple was 34.1 years old, on average, when their first child was born. That is older than for female couples (32.1 years) and for male-female couples (29.2 years).

Among couples with children, the average age of first-time parents has increased since 1995. This increase was most pronounced among male couples, at more than 8 years. Among female couples, the average age rose slightly less significantly and has remained roughly the same since 2007.

The average age difference between partners was also larger among same-sex couples. In 2024, the age difference between two fathers was 10.6 years, on average, and between two mothers it was 6.4 years. Among male-female couples, the average age difference was 3.7 years.