Birth rate in Netherlands

Netherlands: Birth rate was 9.28 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
9.28 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
183rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
38.05 births per 1,000 people
in 1876
All-time low
9.28 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
174
1850–2023

Birth rate in Netherlands, 1850–2023

10203040185019362023

Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.

Analysis

Netherlands recorded 9.28 births per 1,000 people for birth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 174 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, birth rate in Netherlands peaked at 38.05 births per 1,000 people in 1876 and was at its lowest, 9.28 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.

Netherlands ranks 183rd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 174 years of available data.

Birth rate in Netherlands, year by year

Annual values for Birth rate in Netherlands, 1850 to 2023.
Year births per 1,000 people Change
1850 35.06 births per 1,000 people
1851 35.3 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
1852 35.73 births per 1,000 people +1.2%
1853 33.49 births per 1,000 people -6.3%
1854 33.18 births per 1,000 people -0.9%
1855 32.45 births per 1,000 people -2.2%
1856 33.34 births per 1,000 people +2.7%
1857 35.35 births per 1,000 people +6.0%
1858 33.07 births per 1,000 people -6.4%
1859 35.6 births per 1,000 people +7.6%
1860 32.3 births per 1,000 people -9.3%
1861 36.01 births per 1,000 people +11.5%
1862 33.94 births per 1,000 people -5.8%
1863 37.18 births per 1,000 people +9.5%
1864 36.48 births per 1,000 people -1.9%
1865 36.98 births per 1,000 people +1.3%
1866 36.14 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
1867 36.2 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1868 35.66 births per 1,000 people -1.5%
1869 34.7 births per 1,000 people -2.7%
1870 36.77 births per 1,000 people +5.9%
1871 35.95 births per 1,000 people -2.2%
1872 36.7 births per 1,000 people +2.1%
1873 36.94 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
1874 37.15 births per 1,000 people +0.6%
1875 37.3 births per 1,000 people +0.4%
1876 38.05 births per 1,000 people +2.0%
1877 37.66 births per 1,000 people -1.0%
1878 37.2 births per 1,000 people -1.2%
1879 37.84 births per 1,000 people +1.7%
1880 36.48 births per 1,000 people -3.6%
1881 35.89 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
1882 36.3 births per 1,000 people +1.1%
1883 35.28 births per 1,000 people -2.8%
1884 35.93 births per 1,000 people +1.8%
1885 35.44 births per 1,000 people -1.4%
1886 35.68 births per 1,000 people +0.7%
1887 34.88 births per 1,000 people -2.2%
1888 34.89 births per 1,000 people +0.0%
1889 34.32 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
1890 33.65 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1891 34.47 births per 1,000 people +2.4%
1892 32.79 births per 1,000 people -4.9%
1893 34.71 births per 1,000 people +5.9%
1894 33.35 births per 1,000 people -3.9%
1895 33.67 births per 1,000 people +1.0%
1896 33.69 births per 1,000 people +0.0%
1897 33.46 births per 1,000 people -0.7%
1898 32.85 births per 1,000 people -1.8%
1899 32.92 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1900 31.86 births per 1,000 people -3.2%
1901 32.6 births per 1,000 people +2.3%
1902 32.25 births per 1,000 people -1.1%
1903 32.05 births per 1,000 people -0.6%
1904 31.85 births per 1,000 people -0.6%
1905 31.27 births per 1,000 people -1.8%
1906 30.87 births per 1,000 people -1.3%
1907 30.54 births per 1,000 people -1.1%
1908 30.18 births per 1,000 people -1.2%
1909 29.59 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1910 28.83 births per 1,000 people -2.6%
1911 27.99 births per 1,000 people -2.9%
1912 28.22 births per 1,000 people +0.8%
1913 28.3 births per 1,000 people +0.3%
1914 28.36 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1915 26.41 births per 1,000 people -6.9%
1916 26.82 births per 1,000 people +1.6%
1917 26.52 births per 1,000 people -1.1%
1918 25.61 births per 1,000 people -3.4%
1919 24.88 births per 1,000 people -2.9%
1920 28.87 births per 1,000 people +16.1%
1921 27.89 births per 1,000 people -3.4%
1922 26.33 births per 1,000 people -5.6%
1923 26.48 births per 1,000 people +0.6%
1924 25.35 births per 1,000 people -4.3%
1925 24.43 births per 1,000 people -3.6%
1926 23.93 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1927 23.28 births per 1,000 people -2.7%
1928 23.49 births per 1,000 people +0.9%
1929 22.93 births per 1,000 people -2.4%
1930 23.3 births per 1,000 people +1.6%
1931 22.35 births per 1,000 people -4.1%
1932 22.22 births per 1,000 people -0.6%
1933 21.04 births per 1,000 people -5.3%
1934 20.9 births per 1,000 people -0.7%
1935 20.43 births per 1,000 people -2.2%
1936 20.34 births per 1,000 people -0.4%
1937 19.94 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1938 20.67 births per 1,000 people +3.7%
1939 20.71 births per 1,000 people +0.2%
1940 20.93 births per 1,000 people +1.0%
1941 20.39 births per 1,000 people -2.5%
1942 21.09 births per 1,000 people +3.4%
1943 23.07 births per 1,000 people +9.4%
1944 24.09 births per 1,000 people +4.4%
1945 22.73 births per 1,000 people -5.6%
1946 30.57 births per 1,000 people +34.5%
1947 28.02 births per 1,000 people -8.4%
1948 25.52 births per 1,000 people -8.9%
1949 23.89 births per 1,000 people -6.4%
1950 22.74 births per 1,000 people -4.8%
1951 22.39 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
1952 22.46 births per 1,000 people +0.3%
1953 21.82 births per 1,000 people -2.8%
1954 21.52 births per 1,000 people -1.4%
1955 21.33 births per 1,000 people -0.9%
1956 21.27 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
1957 21.2 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
1958 21.13 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
1959 21.31 births per 1,000 people +0.9%
1960 20.82 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
1961 21.19 births per 1,000 people +1.8%
1962 20.79 births per 1,000 people -1.9%
1963 20.81 births per 1,000 people +0.1%
1964 20.63 births per 1,000 people -0.9%
1965 19.91 births per 1,000 people -3.5%
1966 19.22 births per 1,000 people -3.5%
1967 18.85 births per 1,000 people -1.9%
1968 18.56 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
1969 19.13 births per 1,000 people +3.1%
1970 18.32 births per 1,000 people -4.2%
1971 17.25 births per 1,000 people -5.9%
1972 16.06 births per 1,000 people -6.9%
1973 14.53 births per 1,000 people -9.5%
1974 13.7 births per 1,000 people -5.7%
1975 12.98 births per 1,000 people -5.3%
1976 12.8 births per 1,000 people -1.4%
1977 12.51 births per 1,000 people -2.2%
1978 12.55 births per 1,000 people +0.4%
1979 12.45 births per 1,000 people -0.8%
1980 12.73 births per 1,000 people +2.2%
1981 12.47 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
1982 12.01 births per 1,000 people -3.8%
1983 11.84 births per 1,000 people -1.4%
1984 12.11 births per 1,000 people +2.3%
1985 12.35 births per 1,000 people +1.9%
1986 12.72 births per 1,000 people +3.0%
1987 12.81 births per 1,000 people +0.8%
1988 12.76 births per 1,000 people -0.4%
1989 12.88 births per 1,000 people +0.9%
1990 13.34 births per 1,000 people +3.6%
1991 13.3 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
1992 13.09 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
1993 12.94 births per 1,000 people -1.1%
1994 12.86 births per 1,000 people -0.6%
1995 12.47 births per 1,000 people -3.0%
1996 12.31 births per 1,000 people -1.2%
1997 12.42 births per 1,000 people +0.9%
1998 12.75 births per 1,000 people +2.6%
1999 12.75 births per 1,000 people +0.0%
2000 12.99 births per 1,000 people +1.9%
2001 12.66 births per 1,000 people -2.6%
2002 12.52 births per 1,000 people -1.1%
2003 12.32 births per 1,000 people -1.6%
2004 11.9 births per 1,000 people -3.4%
2005 11.51 births per 1,000 people -3.2%
2006 11.31 births per 1,000 people -1.8%
2007 11.05 births per 1,000 people -2.3%
2008 11.16 births per 1,000 people +1.0%
2009 11.13 births per 1,000 people -0.3%
2010 11.04 births per 1,000 people -0.8%
2011 10.75 births per 1,000 people -2.6%
2012 10.48 births per 1,000 people -2.5%
2013 10.21 births per 1,000 people -2.6%
2014 10.36 births per 1,000 people +1.4%
2015 10.08 births per 1,000 people -2.7%
2016 10.11 births per 1,000 people +0.3%
2017 9.91 births per 1,000 people -2.0%
2018 9.78 births per 1,000 people -1.3%
2019 9.77 births per 1,000 people -0.1%
2020 9.7 births per 1,000 people -0.7%
2021 10.27 births per 1,000 people +5.8%
2022 9.63 births per 1,000 people -6.2%
2023 9.28 births per 1,000 people -3.7%

Netherlands compared with similar countries

  • Netherlands's 9.28 births per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 9.6 births per 1,000 people, 97% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Netherlands's 9.28 births per 1,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.31 births per 1,000 people, 100% of the median. (56 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Birth rate in Netherlands changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1946 +34.5% 22.73 births per 1,000 people 30.57 births per 1,000 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1850s 34.26 births per 1,000 people 32.45 births per 1,000 people 35.73 births per 1,000 people 10
1860s 35.56 births per 1,000 people 32.3 births per 1,000 people 37.18 births per 1,000 people 10
1870s 37.16 births per 1,000 people 35.95 births per 1,000 people 38.05 births per 1,000 people 10
1880s 35.51 births per 1,000 people 34.32 births per 1,000 people 36.48 births per 1,000 people 10
1890s 33.55 births per 1,000 people 32.79 births per 1,000 people 34.71 births per 1,000 people 10
1900s 31.31 births per 1,000 people 29.59 births per 1,000 people 32.6 births per 1,000 people 10
1910s 27.19 births per 1,000 people 24.88 births per 1,000 people 28.83 births per 1,000 people 10
1920s 25.3 births per 1,000 people 22.93 births per 1,000 people 28.87 births per 1,000 people 10
1930s 21.19 births per 1,000 people 19.94 births per 1,000 people 23.3 births per 1,000 people 10
1940s 24.03 births per 1,000 people 20.39 births per 1,000 people 30.57 births per 1,000 people 10
1950s 21.72 births per 1,000 people 21.13 births per 1,000 people 22.74 births per 1,000 people 10
1960s 19.99 births per 1,000 people 18.56 births per 1,000 people 21.19 births per 1,000 people 10
1970s 14.32 births per 1,000 people 12.45 births per 1,000 people 18.32 births per 1,000 people 10
1980s 12.47 births per 1,000 people 11.84 births per 1,000 people 12.88 births per 1,000 people 10
1990s 12.82 births per 1,000 people 12.31 births per 1,000 people 13.34 births per 1,000 people 10
2000s 11.85 births per 1,000 people 11.05 births per 1,000 people 12.99 births per 1,000 people 10
2010s 10.25 births per 1,000 people 9.77 births per 1,000 people 11.04 births per 1,000 people 10
2020s 9.72 births per 1,000 people 9.28 births per 1,000 people 10.27 births per 1,000 people 4

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 180 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 9.36 births per 1,000 people compare
  2. 181 Norway 9.34 births per 1,000 people compare
  3. 182 Sweden 9.28 births per 1,000 people compare
  4. 184 Mauritius 9.27 births per 1,000 people compare
  5. 185 Bulgaria 9.22 births per 1,000 people compare
  6. 186 North Macedonia 9.21 births per 1,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is birth rate in Netherlands?
Birth rate in Netherlands was 9.28 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest birth rate recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 38.05 births per 1,000 people in 1876.
What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 9.28 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
How does Netherlands rank for birth rate?
Netherlands ranks 183rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is birth rate rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Netherlands data come from?
The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Birth rate in Netherlands. Statizoid, drawing on Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/long-run-birth-rate/netherlands/

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About this data

Indicator
Birth rate
Unit
births per 1,000 people
Source
Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 18,723 data points, 1751–2023
Last refreshed

Total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.