Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Netherlands
Netherlands: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 534.41 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
534.41 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
22nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
534.41 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
344.75 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Netherlands, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, population density in Netherlands stood at 534.41 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Netherlands peaked at 534.41 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 344.75 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Netherlands 22nd out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 344.75 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 349.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 354.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 359.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 364.18 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 368.96 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 373.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 377.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 381.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 386.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 390.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 394.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1973 | 398.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 401.22 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 404.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 408 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 410.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 412.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 415.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 419.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 422.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 423.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 425.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 427.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 429.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 431.64 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 434.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 437.21 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 439.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 442.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 446.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 449.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 452.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 455.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 457.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 460.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 462.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 465.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 468.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 471.73 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 475.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 478.35 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 480.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 482.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 483.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 484.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 485.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 487.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 490.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 492.6 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 495.05 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 496.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 498.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 500.59 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 503.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 505.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 508.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 511.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 515.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 518.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 520.73 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 525.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 530.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 534.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 534.41 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 3.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 534.41 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 6.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 363.66 people per sq. km of land area | 344.75 people per sq. km of land area | 381.46 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 402.32 people per sq. km of land area | 386.21 people per sq. km of land area | 415.83 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 429.03 people per sq. km of land area | 419.13 people per sq. km of land area | 439.84 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 456.16 people per sq. km of land area | 442.88 people per sq. km of land area | 468.37 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 481.83 people per sq. km of land area | 471.73 people per sq. km of land area | 490.08 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 502.86 people per sq. km of land area | 492.6 people per sq. km of land area | 515.14 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 525.96 people per sq. km of land area | 518.01 people per sq. km of land area | 534.41 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 19 Lebanon 567.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 20 San Marino 555.18 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 21 Burundi 547.03 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 23 South Korea 530.24 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 Saint Martin (French part) 493 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 25 India 488.01 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Netherlands
- Population in the largest city 6.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1225 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 2.22 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.5314 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 65.1 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.19 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 99.6% (2017)
- Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by degree of 145.37 million Number (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Netherlands?
- Population density in Netherlands was 534.41 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 534.41 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 344.75 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Netherlands rank for population density?
- Netherlands ranks 22nd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.