The population of the Netherlands grew by 39,000 in the first six months of this year, taking the total to 17,980,000 by the end of June, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS.

The growth is down by one-third on the same period in 2023 and reflects low numbers of immigrants, an increase in emigration and more deaths, the CBS said.

In total, 138,000 people moved to the Netherlands in the first six months of the year and 92,000 left, meaning a net increase in immigration of 46,000 – down by a quarter on 2023.

Immigration from Europe is still distorted by the arrival of refugees from Ukraine but on balance, the population of European immigrants grew by 13,700. However, the number of new arrivals from Asia, India in particular, was down slightly year on year.

Between January and June, 81,300 children were born in the Netherlands and 88,400 people died. The number of deaths outstripped births by 7,200, compared with 6,000 in the same period last year.

The CBS also looked at the birth rate and concluded that it had fallen further, to an average of 1.4 babies per woman. The birth rate is now below the rate necessary to keep the population stable among all population groups, the CBS said.