More than half of young Dutch adults don’t want children, and many aren’t sure they ever will.
That’s the finding from a new RTL survey. The poll, conducted among over 19,000 panel members in February 2026, found that 53% of 18 to 35-year-olds either have no desire for children or remain undecided.
These findings are reflected in maternity wards. The Netherlands’ birth rate has dropped from an average of 1.8 children per woman in 2010 to just 1.4 in 2024, according to RTL Nieuws.
And the reasons behind this stance say a lot about life in the Netherlands right now.
Why don’t young people want children?
Respondents point to a mix of factors: no natural pull towards parenthood, worries about climate change, health problems, and the absence of a stable partner.
Oh, and the very Dutch problem of not being able to find a suitable place to live.
But what does this mean for society in the future?
Some experts fear consequences will be severe
Economist Jona van Loenen warns that the consequences of this drop could hit us hard. At the current pace, he says, the Dutch population could halve within 75 years.
The worker-to-retiree ratio, once seven to one, could fall as low as two to one, piling pressure on healthcare and the broader economy simultaneously.
Others aren’t so worried
Not everyone sees it as a disaster, though. Economist Jan-Pieter Peijs calls population decline “a blessing”, given that the world is already heading towards 11 billion people.
A smaller Dutch population, he argues, would ease pressure on housing, infrastructure, and climate targets.
Van Loenen doesn’t dismiss those points, but stresses that the pace is the real problem. A gradual decline is manageable; the current speed, he warns, is the problem. “Society can’t keep up with this pace”, he tells RTL Nieuws.
So what’s the solution?
Both economists land in the same place: immigration.
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More migrants could ease labour shortages and offset rising pension costs, though Van Loenen acknowledges that opens up an entirely separate debate in the current political climate.
Do you want children in the Netherlands, or has the housing market put you off? Let us know in the comments below.
