April 4, 2025

The Netherlands will have 22.8 million inhabitants by 2050, according to the State Commission on Demographic Developments 2050 in its report ‘Moderate Growth’ published in 2024. Rapid population growth will make the Netherlands busier, grayer, and more diverse, impacting our public services, infrastructure, and available space. The state commission mapped out various scenarios for the Netherlands, as well as ways in which the government can influence these developments.

After being discussed in the House of Representatives, the Senate has now also invited the state commission for a public discussion on its report, at the proposal of the Social Affairs and Employment committee. The discussion will focus on the relevance of the outlined scenarios for legislative review and the Senates action perspective. Given the breadth of the report, all members of parliament are invited to attend. The discussion with the state commission is on Tuesday evening, April 8, and will be moderated by SZW committee chair Mei Li Vos (GroenLinks-PvdA).

Themes and Program

The meeting begins with an introduction by Richard van Zwol, chairman of the state commission. This is followed by three segments discussing the demographic scenarios, the consequences of demographics for space, economy, and public services, and social cohesion and robust choices. Topics include the impact of aging and the shrinking labor market in relation to informal care. Additionally, urban migration from northern and eastern regions is a key theme, as is the accessibility challenge in rural areas. Senators are also interested in discussing the significance of differences in demographic developments for rural and urban environments.