Murder rate falls to record low but femicide rate unchanged

The share of women killed by a partner in the Netherlands has not shifted in 15 years, even as the country’s overall murder toll fell to its lowest level since records began, figures from the national statistics office CBS showed on Thursday.

A total of 103 people were killed by murder or manslaughter in 2025, 17 fewer than a year earlier. The fall was driven by a drop in male victims, which reached a 30-year low.

But between 2021 and 2025, just over half of all women killed died at the hands of a current or former partner – rising to 63% among those aged 20 to 60.

Killed by a partner
Just over half of all female victims between 2021 and 2025 were killed by a current or former partner, a proportion that has not changed for 15 years. Among women aged 20 to 60, it rose to 63%.

Police identified a suspect in 96% of cases involving women. A further 18% were killed by another relative, 16% by an acquaintance and 9% by a stranger.

The picture for men was different. A suspect was identified in 86% of cases; nearly a third of male victims were killed by an acquaintance, and 11% died in what CBS called a settling of scores in the criminal underworld.

Children and cities
The statistics office also recorded the deaths of 24 children under the age of 10 over the five-year period. In 20 of those cases, the suspected killer was the child’s own mother or father.

Rotterdam saw the most victims between 2021 and 2025, with 65, followed by Amsterdam with 62. There were 36 in The Hague and 12 in Utrecht. A quarter of all victims were killed in the four largest cities.

CBS noted that it cannot separate murder from manslaughter, or suspects from convicted perpetrators, because many of the cases had not come to trial when the court files were compiled.

Political response
The constant rate of partner killings has fuelled growing political concern about femicide. In June, the cabinet moved to make coercive control a criminal offence for the first time, calling controlling behaviour a frequent precursor to such killings.

A study for the justice ministry in May found that Dutch courts almost never use the word “femicide” in their verdicts, even in cases that fit international definitions.

If you have experienced or are experiencing domestic or sexual violence, Veilig Thuis (Safe at Home) offers confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0800 2000 or at veiligthuis.nl. In an emergency, call 112.