Population density in Netherlands
Netherlands: Population density was 530.95 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
530.95 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
22nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
530.95 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
344.75 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Netherlands, 1961–2023
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 2023, population density in Netherlands stood at 530.95 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Netherlands peaked at 530.95 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 344.75 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Netherlands 22nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density 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% |
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 | 523.85 people per sq. km of land area | 518.01 people per sq. km of land area | 530.95 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 19 San Marino 564.33 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 20 Saint Martin (French part) 550.3 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 21 Burundi 533.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 23 Republic of Korea 529.84 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 India 483.68 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 25 Comoros 456.95 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 530.95 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, 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 530.95 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- 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 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. 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 — 63 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.