Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands

Netherlands: Share of population living in the capital city was 4.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
4.7%
World rank
150th
of 170 countries
All-time high
6.8%
in 1950
All-time low
4.4%
in 2005
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands, 1950–2020

02461950198520201950: 6.8 %1955: 6.6 %1960: 6.3 %1965: 6 %1970: 5.6 %1975: 5.1 %1980: 4.8 %1985: 4.5 %1990: 4.4 %1995: 4.4 %2000: 4.4 %2005: 4.4 %2010: 4.4 %2015: 4.5 %2020: 4.7 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands is 4.7%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands peaked at 6.8% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2005.

That places Netherlands 150th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 6.8%
1955 6.6% -3.9%
1960 6.3% -4.4%
1965 6.0% -4.6%
1970 5.6% -6.7%
1975 5.1% -8.4%
1980 4.8% -7.0%
1985 4.5% -4.6%
1990 4.4% -3.0%
1995 4.4% +0.4%
2000 4.4% -0.9%
2005 4.4% -0.7%
2010 4.4% +0.8%
2015 4.5% +2.5%
2020 4.7% +3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 6.7% 6.6% 6.8% 2
1960s 6.1% 6.0% 6.3% 2
1970s 5.4% 5.1% 5.6% 2
1980s 4.7% 4.5% 4.8% 2
1990s 4.4% 4.4% 4.4% 2
2000s 4.4% 4.4% 4.4% 2
2010s 4.5% 4.4% 4.5% 2
2020s 4.7% 4.7% 4.7% 1

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 147 Viet Nam 5.2% compare
  2. 148 Ethiopia 5.0% compare
  3. 149 Poland 4.9% compare
  4. 151 Malawi 4.3% compare
  5. 152 Germany 4.2% compare
  6. 153 Türkiye 4.1% compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands?
Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands was 4.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 6.8% in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2005.
How does Netherlands rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Netherlands ranks 150th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Netherlands data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Netherlands. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/netherlands/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.