Overview
- The CBS reported Thursday that the Dutch population reached about 18.15 million at the end of June after a net increase of roughly 23,000 people in the first half of 2026.
- All of the growth came from migration, with 126,000 people immigrating and 95,000 emigrating for a net migration gain of about 31,000, which is around 14,000 fewer than in H1 2025.
- Registrations of people from Syria fell from 16,000 in H1 2025 to 10,000 in H1 2026 as Syrians no longer automatically receive asylum permits, reducing asylum‑type arrivals overall.
- For the first time more Poles left the Netherlands than arrived, net inflows fell from several origin countries, and net arrivals rose slightly from Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.
- Natural change remained negative despite about 82,000 births (roughly 800 more than a year earlier) because deaths rose, partly due to elevated mortality during a late‑June heatwave; the shift in migrant composition may affect local services and labour supply.