At the end of last year, researchers at Statistics Netherlands (CBS) predicted that the population of the Netherlands would continue to grow in spite of the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, almost one year after that report was published, new figures have revealed that the rate of population growth in the Netherlands in the third quarter of 2021 was the same as in the third quarter of 2019, pre-coronavirus. 

Dutch population continues to grow

In July, August, and September, CBS recorded a population growth of 58.700 people, a similar number to that of the summer of 2019, when the Netherlands’ population grew by 57.400 inhabitants. 

This marks the first time since the outbreak of the virus last March that population levels are growing at the same rate as before the pandemic. In the third quarter of 2020, only 39.500 new inhabitants were recorded, and in the first two quarters of 2021 the population growth recorded was lower than that of 2019.

In total, the population of the Netherlands has grown by 90.400 people in 2021, compared to 57.700 in 2020 and 103.200 in 2019. 

The Netherlands records high number of births in 2021

CBS attributes this recent growth to the high number of births registered over the summer. According to provisional figures, a total of 47.900 births were recorded during this period - around 10.000 more than the 38.00 deaths that were recorded during July, August, and September. So far, more children have been born in 2021 than in 2019.

The rest of the growth can be credited to migration. Not only did the third quarter see a significant increase in the number of people moving to the Netherlands - 91.000 compared to 75.200 in 2020 - but the number of people leaving also remained relatively low (42.700). 

This year, migration accounted for a growth of 78.100 inhabitants, most of which originated from Syria (8.000) and Poland (7.6000). Interestingly, since Brexit, more Uk citizens are choosing to leave the Netherlands than make the country their home