Population in the largest city in Netherlands
Netherlands: Population in the largest city was 6.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Netherlands, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Netherlands is 6.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Netherlands peaked at 13.6% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 2025.
That places Netherlands 150th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 13.6% | — |
| 1961 | 13.5% | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 13.3% | -1.0% |
| 1963 | 13.3% | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 13.1% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 12.9% | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 12.7% | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 12.5% | -1.5% |
| 1968 | 12.3% | -1.2% |
| 1969 | 12.2% | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 12.0% | -2.1% |
| 1971 | 11.6% | -3.2% |
| 1972 | 11.3% | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 11.3% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 11.2% | -0.6% |
| 1975 | 11.1% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 10.9% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 10.8% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 10.6% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 10.4% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 10.2% | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 10.0% | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 9.7% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 9.5% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 9.5% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 9.4% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 9.4% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 9.3% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 9.3% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 9.2% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 9.2% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 9.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 9.0% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 8.8% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 8.0% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 7.7% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 7.6% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 7.5% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 7.5% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 7.4% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 7.4% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 7.3% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 7.3% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 7.3% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 7.3% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 7.2% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 7.0% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 7.0% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 6.9% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 6.9% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 6.9% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 6.9% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.9% | 12.2% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.1% | 10.4% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.6% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 8.2% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.6% | 7.4% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.2% | 7.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More urban development data for Netherlands
- Population density 530.95 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Netherlands?
- Population in the largest city in Netherlands was 6.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 13.6% in 1960.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 2025.
- How does Netherlands rank for population in the largest city?
- Netherlands ranks 150th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.