Netherlands Has Far More Migrant Workers Than Earlier Counts, Roughly 1 Million

A new study estimates that around one million non-Dutch workers are active in the Dutch labour market today. Counting everyone who is in the Netherlands for work (including some not currently employed) brings the total up to about 1.7 million. Earlier official estimates often reported 220,000–700,000, depending on the definition and data source, suggesting the scale has been consistently undercounted.

The reported total combines several groups: people registered with Dutch authorities and paying into social schemes, highly skilled migrants with residence permits, workers seconded by foreign employers, and a smaller group of undocumented third-country nationals. The study’s central point is not only growth in numbers, but also that multiple administrative routes (and some loopholes) make the true scale hard to see in standard statistics.

Independent advisory bodies have also pointed to large figures. The Advisory Council for Migration (ACVZ) estimated earlier this year that about 1.7 million foreign nationals aged 25–65 were living in the Netherlands, of whom roughly 1.1 million were working, numbers that line up with the new analysis’s broader total.

Regulators warn the registration system can be misused. The Netherlands Labour Authority has flagged “substantial misuse” of the non-residents register (RNI), which issues citizen service numbers (BSN) to people living abroad or staying short-term.

Agencies say the RNI can be abused to create a veneer of legality for work that does not meet Dutch rules, complicating oversight of employment and housing conditions. Lawmakers have been briefed on the problem, and the Socio-Economic Council (SER) referenced it in its latest advisory on labour migration.

The policy debate is shifting as the numbers rise. Earlier this month, the SER urged the government “fewer where possible, better where necessary”: tighter enforcement against exploitation and sham constructions, but also more structured pathways for skilled workers in shortage sectors. That advice correlates with the long-running concerns about poor housing, rogue temp agencies, and underpayment, especially among lower-wage workers from within and outside the EU.

Definitions differ (who is “a labour migrant”?), many people move in and out during the year, and multiple data sources are used (population registers, social insurance, tax filings, and sector surveys). The new analysis argues that when you add registered employees, self-employed, seconded staff, and known but hard-to-track groups, the picture looks much larger than earlier headline figures.

With the economy still relying on foreign staff in sectors like logistics, food processing, construction, tech, and healthcare, the Netherlands faces a balancing act of protecting workers and local housing markets while keeping critical skills flowing. We can expect more moves on registration, inspections, housing standards, and rules for intermediaries, alongside targeted visas for shortage occupations.