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Foreign-born residents made up 12% of people aged 55 and over in the Netherlands in 2024, up from 9% in 2012. They were also more likely to live long-term below the social minimum.
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The number of people aged 55 and over in the Netherlands who were born abroad rose from about 454,000 in 2012 to 758,000 in 2024, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) said on 29 September. Their share of the age group grew from 9% to 12%. [1]
Foreign-born residents in this age group were more likely than those born in the Netherlands to live long-term below the social minimum. In 2024, the rate was 1.8% among Netherlands-born over-55s, compared with 3.4% among those born in Indonesia, 12% in Suriname, 20% in Morocco and 33.5% in Iraq. These are rates within each birthplace group. [1]
CBS said shorter residence in the Netherlands partly explains the difference: some people have not built up a full Dutch state pension. Among those aged 55 to 66, foreign-born residents were also more likely to have benefits as their main source of income. [1]
The increase varied by birthplace. The number of Ukraine-born over-55s rose from about 700 to 13,400 between 2012 and 2024; CBS said many arrived after Russia’s 2022 invasion. By contrast, the Indonesia-born group fell from 105,700 to 79,000. [1]
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