The latest data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has revealed that population growth decreased in the Randstad and increased in several regions outside the bigger Dutch cities. 2024 also saw a lower population growth for the whole of the Netherlands, with any growth that did occur attributed once again to immigration.  

Regions outside the Randstad saw higher population growth

While 285 of the 342 Dutch municipalities saw a growth in population, many cities did not experience as much growth as others. The Randstad which includes the largest cities in the Netherlands such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht actually saw a drop in population growth. 

According to CBS, this is mainly due to fewer migrants moving to these areas. For example, Noord-Holland saw 5,6 new residents per thousand inhabitants last year while in 2023 this was 8,1 per thousand. With a short supply of housing and high rental prices in the Randstad, this could be part of the reason for less population growth in these regions. 

On the other hand, regions outside the Randstad such as Noord-Brabant, Zeeland, Drenthe and Overijssel saw a rise in population growth. Several cities in these provinces grew due to foreign migration, Eindhoven in particular - most likely because of big tech companies such as ASML attracting migrant workers. Flevoland was the Dutch province that welcomed the most inhabitants with 13 new people per thousand inhabitants. 

Slow in Dutch population growth due to fewer migrants

In 2024, the population in the Netherlands grew by 103 thousand people bringing the total population to 18,05 million. All growth was purely down to immigration for the third year in a row as death rates were higher than birth rates. 

Compared to 2023, there was a decrease in the number of people moving to the Netherlands from other European countries (-8,5 thousand), and more people leaving (+5,3 thousand). A drop in migrants from India, the United States and South Africa was also seen. 

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