Young adults drive increase in Dutch library membership

More and more Dutch people have a library card. The increase is driven largely by young adults, with library membership increasing by nearly 22 percent in this age group last year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the KB (formerly known as the Royal Library) reported.

Over 3.8 million Dutch people held a library membership in 2025 - an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year. The number of 18- to 30-year-olds with a library card rose from around 260,000 to nearly 320,000, marking a 21.8 percent increase in a single year. The number of library members in their 40s and 50s saw a slight decline.

Researchers note that libraries are making significant efforts to become more accessible and appealing. For instance, three-quarters of libraries offer free memberships or discounted subscriptions to certain adults, and some libraries allow all adults to join for free.

The number of children with library cards also increased. Approximately 2.4 million children and teenagers have a library card, representing three-quarters of all children in the Netherlands.

Last year, libraries held a total of 22.4 million books in their collections - roughly the same as the year before. The number of CDs dropped by 20 percent to approximately 437,000, while the number of magazines fell by 5 percent to around 687,000. In total, these items were borrowed more than 54 million times.

Audiobooks are gaining popularity. The number of spoken-word books in library collections rose by 14 percent to approximately 17,000. These were borrowed a total of 2.9 million times - an 11 percent increase over the previous year. The number of e-books grew by 8 percent to nearly 50,000, and the number of loans rose by 3 percent to around 6 million.

The number of library locations increased by 25 percent, reaching 1,283 - the highest figure since 2014. This was made possible by central government funding.

Only six Dutch municipalities do not have a library: Alphen-Chaam (Noord-Holland), Blaricum and Uitgeest (Noord-Holland), Mooek en Middelaar and Roerdalen (Limburg), and Roezendaal (Gelderland).