# Netherlands is EU's second most crowded country after Malta

> The Netherlands is now the second most densely populated EU country after Malta, and households have grown much faster than the population, CBS figures show.

Society · published 2026-10-28 06:16 · https://nlnow.nl/a/dutch-population-density-rises-15-since-2000-to-539-per-km/

On 1 January 2026 the Netherlands had 539 inhabitants per square kilometre of land, up 15% from 468 in 2000, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports. The population grew from 15.9 million to 18.1 million over the same period.

Households grew much faster than the population. There were just under 8.5 million private households at the start of 2026, 3.4 million of them one-person households, against about 6.8 million in 2000. Average household size fell from 2.3 to 2.1 people. CBS says municipalities with small households need relatively many, usually small, homes.

**Flevoland and Zuid-Holland grew denser fastest since 2000** (inhabitants per km²; source: CBS)

- Zuid-Holland: 1185 to 1437
- Noord-Holland: 948 to 1130
- Utrecht: 813 to 953
- Noord-Brabant: 478 to 546
- Limburg: 527 to 532
- Gelderland: 385 to 439
- Overijssel: 323 to 363
- Flevoland: 223 to 327
- Groningen: 240 to 260
- Zeeland: 206 to 222
- Fryslân: 186 to 200
- Drenthe: 177 to 193

Density is highest in the west and lowest in the north. Zuid-Holland has over 1,400 people per km², about seven times Drenthe's 193. In percentage terms Flevoland (47%) and Zuid-Holland (21%) rose most, followed by Noord-Holland (19%) and Utrecht (17%).

Den Haag is the densest municipality at 6.9 thousand per km², ahead of Leiden (5.9 thousand) and Haarlem (5.8 thousand). Schiermonnikoog has the fewest, at 24. Rotterdam falls outside the top because it includes the port area, and the Veluwe and countryside pull down Ede's average.

Wageningen has the highest share of one-person households (63%), followed by Groningen (61%). Lansingerland, Rozendaal and Urk have the lowest.

Only Malta, at 1.7 thousand per km², is denser among EU countries. The Netherlands has almost five times the EU average of 110. Finland (18), Sweden (26) and the Baltic states are the least dense.

## Background

- **CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek)**: Statistics Netherlands, the independent government body that produces the official statistics on the Dutch economy and society.

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