Public library membership in the Netherlands rises to more than 3.8 million in 2025

The useful part

In particular, an increasing number of younger adults, those between the ages of 18 and 30, are joining libraries. That statistic is dwarfed by the number of children who are library members. Last year saw a rise of 2.4%, or over 57,000 more kids with a library card.

How it works

• The Netherlands had 802 library locations in 2025, an increase of 35 on the year before.
• The number of physical books checked out by patrons has remained stable but the number of e-book loans rose.
• Nearly 6 million e-books were borrowed via the online library, 3% more than in 2024, and audiobook loans rose 11% to 2.9 million.
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Details worth keeping

Library membership tops 3.8 million as more adults sign up. The number of adult library members rose by 46,000 to nearly 1.4 million. Nearly two-thirds of kids, 74%, are members of a library.

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