Number of people using the Internet in Netherlands

Netherlands: Number of people using the Internet was 16.32 million users in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
16.32 million users
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
44th
of 207 countries
All-time high
16.36 million users
in 2019
All-time low
50,203 users
in 1990
Years of data
32
1990–2021

Number of people using the Internet in Netherlands, 1990–2021

05.0M10.0M15.0M1990200520211990: 50.2k users1991: 80.5k users1992: 201.7k users1993: 303.2k users1994: 504.8k users1995: 1.0M users1996: 1.5M users1997: 2.2M users1998: 3.5M users1999: 6.2M users2000: 7.1M users2001: 8.0M users2002: 10.0M users2003: 10.5M users2004: 11.3M users2005: 13.3M users2006: 13.8M users2007: 14.2M users2008: 14.5M users2009: 15.0M users2010: 15.2M users2011: 15.4M users2012: 15.7M users2013: 15.9M users2014: 15.6M users2015: 15.7M users2016: 15.6M users2017: 16.1M users2018: 16.0M users2019: 16.4M users2020: 16.1M users2021: 16.3M users

Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in. Measured in users.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of people using the internet in Netherlands is 16.32 million users, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Netherlands peaked at 16.36 million users in 2019 and was at its lowest, 50,203 users, in 1990.

That places Netherlands 44th out of 207 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.56 million users 50,203 users 6.25 million users 10
2000s 11.76 million users 7.06 million users 14.95 million users 10
2010s 15.76 million users 15.21 million users 16.36 million users 10
2020s 16.21 million users 16.11 million users 16.32 million users 2

Countries ranked near Netherlands

  1. 41 Ethiopia 20.39 million users compare
  2. 42 Kazakhstan 17.95 million users compare
  3. 43 Chile 17.56 million users compare
  4. 45 Romania 16.09 million users compare
  5. 46 Democratic Republic of Congo 16.02 million users compare
  6. 47 Tanzania 14.37 million users compare

See the full ranking of 207 places →

More science & technology data for Netherlands

All data for Netherlands →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people using the internet in Netherlands?
Number of people using the internet in Netherlands was 16.32 million users in 2021, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in.
What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Netherlands?
The highest recorded value was 16.36 million users in 2019.
What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Netherlands?
The lowest recorded value was 50,203 users in 1990.
How does Netherlands rank for number of people using the internet?
Netherlands ranks 44th out of 207 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Netherlands?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Netherlands data come from?
The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of people using the Internet
Unit
users
Source
World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
207 places, 5,658 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed

The number of individuals using the Internet.