Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands
Netherlands: Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 was 95.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
95.9%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
21st
of 238 countries
All-time high
95.9%
in 2025
All-time low
0.5%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands stood at 95.9%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands peaked at 95.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1000.
That places Netherlands 21st out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.5% | — |
| 1100 | 1.0% | +100.0% |
| 1200 | 2.2% | +120.0% |
| 1300 | 4.1% | +86.4% |
| 1400 | 4.7% | +14.6% |
| 1500 | 10.4% | +121.3% |
| 1600 | 22.0% | +111.5% |
| 1700 | 33.6% | +52.7% |
| 1710 | 34.5% | +2.7% |
| 1720 | 35.4% | +2.7% |
| 1730 | 36.4% | +2.6% |
| 1740 | 37.3% | +2.5% |
| 1750 | 38.2% | +2.5% |
| 1760 | 39.1% | +2.4% |
| 1770 | 40.0% | +2.3% |
| 1780 | 40.9% | +2.3% |
| 1790 | 41.9% | +2.2% |
| 1800 | 42.8% | +2.2% |
| 1810 | 43.7% | +2.1% |
| 1820 | 44.6% | +2.1% |
| 1830 | 45.5% | +2.1% |
| 1840 | 46.4% | +2.0% |
| 1850 | 47.4% | +2.0% |
| 1860 | 48.3% | +1.9% |
| 1870 | 49.2% | +1.9% |
| 1880 | 50.1% | +1.9% |
| 1890 | 51.0% | +1.8% |
| 1900 | 52.0% | +1.8% |
| 1910 | 52.9% | +1.8% |
| 1920 | 53.8% | +1.7% |
| 1930 | 54.7% | +1.7% |
| 1940 | 55.6% | +1.7% |
| 1950 | 56.6% | +1.8% |
| 1951 | 57.0% | +0.6% |
| 1952 | 57.0% | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 57.3% | +0.5% |
| 1954 | 58.1% | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 58.5% | +0.7% |
| 1956 | 58.6% | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 58.7% | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 59.2% | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 59.8% | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 59.9% | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 60.1% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 60.3% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 60.3% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 60.9% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 61.2% | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 61.3% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 61.6% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 61.8% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 61.8% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 62.1% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 62.8% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 63.1% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 63.5% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 64.2% | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 64.4% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 64.5% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 64.6% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 64.6% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 64.8% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 65.0% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 65.7% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 66.5% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 66.9% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 67.4% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 67.6% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 68.0% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 68.2% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 68.4% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 68.8% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 69.0% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 69.2% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 69.3% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 69.8% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 70.4% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 70.7% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 72.4% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 75.6% | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 76.8% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 77.1% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 78.5% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 80.2% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 80.8% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 81.3% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 82.3% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 83.5% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 84.7% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 85.4% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 85.6% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 86.2% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 87.4% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 88.0% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 88.5% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 89.2% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 89.8% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 90.3% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 90.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 91.1% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 92.6% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 93.9% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 94.3% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 94.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 95.0% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 95.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 95.6% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 95.9% | +0.3% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 95.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 95.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 | +121.3% | 4.7% | 10.4% |
| 1200 | +120.0% | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| 1600 | +111.5% | 10.4% | 22.0% |
| 1100 | +100.0% | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| 1300 | +86.4% | 2.2% | 4.1% |
| 1700 | +52.7% | 22.0% | 33.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1100s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1300s | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1 |
| 1400s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 1500s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
| 1600s | 22.0% | 22.0% | 22.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 33.6% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 1 |
| 1710s | 34.5% | 34.5% | 34.5% | 1 |
| 1720s | 35.4% | 35.4% | 35.4% | 1 |
| 1730s | 36.4% | 36.4% | 36.4% | 1 |
| 1740s | 37.3% | 37.3% | 37.3% | 1 |
| 1750s | 38.2% | 38.2% | 38.2% | 1 |
| 1760s | 39.1% | 39.1% | 39.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 40.0% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 40.9% | 40.9% | 40.9% | 1 |
| 1790s | 41.9% | 41.9% | 41.9% | 1 |
| 1800s | 42.8% | 42.8% | 42.8% | 1 |
| 1810s | 43.7% | 43.7% | 43.7% | 1 |
| 1820s | 44.6% | 44.6% | 44.6% | 1 |
| 1830s | 45.5% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 1 |
| 1840s | 46.4% | 46.4% | 46.4% | 1 |
| 1850s | 47.4% | 47.4% | 47.4% | 1 |
| 1860s | 48.3% | 48.3% | 48.3% | 1 |
| 1870s | 49.2% | 49.2% | 49.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 50.1% | 50.1% | 50.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 51.0% | 51.0% | 51.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 52.0% | 52.0% | 52.0% | 1 |
| 1910s | 52.9% | 52.9% | 52.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 53.8% | 53.8% | 53.8% | 1 |
| 1930s | 54.7% | 54.7% | 54.7% | 1 |
| 1940s | 55.6% | 55.6% | 55.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 58.1% | 56.6% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 60.9% | 59.9% | 61.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 63.9% | 62.1% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 67.2% | 65.0% | 68.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 72.0% | 69.0% | 77.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.8% | 78.5% | 86.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 90.1% | 87.4% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.1% | 94.3% | 95.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 18 San Marino 97.2% compare
- 19 Martinique 96.8% compare
- 20 Guadeloupe 96.4% compare
- 22 Malta 95.7% compare
- 23 Uruguay 95.7% compare
- 24 United States Virgin Islands 95.4% compare
More population data for Netherlands
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1961 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.5458 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1961 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1463 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2761 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 519.97 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 757,165 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 0.9625 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands?
- Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Netherlands was 95.9% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 95.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1000.
- How does Netherlands rank for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050?
- Netherlands ranks 21st out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.