Life in Netherlands: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated September 2026 · methodology
A child born in Netherlands in the 2020s can expect to live 81.5 years on an average income of 57,500 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To look at these statistics is to see the blueprint of a human existence. It is the difference between a world where 65.26 child mortality per 1,000 births defined the fragility of early life and a modern era of stability. Today, the daily reality is shaped by 100 % electricity at home and 96 % internet access, moving the human experience from the physical toil of 2,070 annual working hours toward a landscape of digital integration and unprecedented security.
The trajectory since the 1950s reveals a society fundamentally redefining itself. Prosperity has surged from 9,191 income per person to 57,500 international dollars, while extreme poverty plummeted from 6.14 % to 0.1 %. This evolution is etched into the body and mind; average male height rose from 177 to 183 cm, and education doubled from 6.15 to 12.5 years of schooling. As urbanization climbed to 92.5 %, the rhythm of life shifted, and fertility rates declined from 2.65 to 1.55 births per woman.
For a child born in the 2020s, the birth lottery provides a life expectancy of 81.5 years on an average income of 57,500 international dollars. This existence is safeguarded by a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and a child mortality rate of 4 per 1,000 births. Compared to the global arc, this represents a convergence of safety and longevity that would have been unrecognizable three generations ago.
Use our interactive tools to compute your own parallel lives.
🇳🇱 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for Netherlands — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 65.24 | 81.5 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 9,191 | 57,500 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 65.26 | 4 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 6.15 | 12.5 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 2.65 | 1.55 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 59.4 | 92.5 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 96 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 85 | 100 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 1.04 | 0.6 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,070 | 1,400 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 177 | 183 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 6.14 | 0.1 % | history → |
See your parallel life in Netherlands →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in Netherlands?
81.5 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is Netherlands a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where Netherlands lands for your cohort.