The latest figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) have revealed that population growth in the Netherlands was 20 percent less in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period last year. Any growth experienced can be attributed entirely to foreign migration, which is why the drop in immigration has resulted in a lower population growth rate.

Population growth in the Netherlands down to foreign migration

In the first nine months of this year, the population of the Netherlands grew by 85.300 people to bring the total population to 18,03 million. Compared to the same period in 2023, the population grew by almost 24.000 fewer people - mainly because of the decline in the number of people moving to the Netherlands.

By the end of September, 243.000 people had become Dutch residents (18.000 less than 2023), while 154.000 people left the country (4.000 more than 2023). There were also more deaths (128.000) than births in the Netherlands (125.000). According to CBS, this means that the country experienced a negative natural growth rate with foreign migration still being the only reason the Dutch population grew larger.

Asia is the most common continent for people to leave for the Netherlands and Syria, is the most common country. In 2024 so far,18.000 have left Syria to make the Netherlands their home. However, the Dutch government is planning to impose border controls among other measures, which it claims will reduce the number of people coming to the Netherlands to seek asylum.

On the other hand, because of the ageing population and the worker shortage in the Netherlands, many Dutch companies fill job vacancies with workers from outside the country and with incentives such as the 30 percent ruling (soon to be 27 percent ruling), which gives highly skilled migrants a tax break, there will still be an inflow of internationals.

Fewer EU immigrants in the Netherlands

When people move to the Netherlands from other countries in the EU, it is mainly for work, studies or family. In the first three quarters of 2024, 83.000 EU citizens (not including Dutch citizens) settled in the Netherlands, while more than 66.000 moved out of the country.

Even though this shows a positive migration balance of 17.000 EU immigrants, when compared to 28.000 in 2023 and 35.000 in 2022, it is clear that fewer people from EU countries are relocating to the Netherlands. The countries from which immigration numbers to the Lowlands have dropped the most are Poland and Bulgaria. 

A similar pattern can be seen with other European countries such as Spain, Italy, Belgium and France. While there are still more people moving from these countries to the Netherlands than there are leaving, the opposite is true for Germany where more German citizens moved away.

Thumb image credit: hurricanehank / Shutterstock.com