According to new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands recorded almost 179.000 births in 2021, the highest number the country has seen in 10 years.
Preliminary figures from CBS had already hinted that the country would see a record number of births, with the coronavirus pandemic resulting in a national baby boom. Now that the final figures from 2021 have been published, CBS has revealed that 178.506 babies were born in the Netherlands last year.
Since the turn of the millennium, the Dutch annual birth rate has remained below 200.000, but the last few years have seen fewer than 170.000 births registered every year, with 2020 seeing only 168.681. With almost 179.000 births registered in 2021, last year saw the country’s highest annual birth rate since 2011, when CBS recorded 180.060 births.
Unsurprisingly, the provinces of South Holland and North Holland saw the most births, with 40.387 and 30.771 births respectively. The southern province of North Brabant also saw a particularly high number of births, recording 25.426, and the city of Amsterdam recorded 10.694 births last year.
The past few years have seen the Netherlands record falling birth rates, as younger generations delay starting their own family or decide against having children altogether. However, various lockdown and restrictions put in place by the Dutch government led to a significant increase in the number of births registered.