Still fewer Dutch youngsters with driver’s license than before corona

Last year, more young candidate drivers (<20) in the Netherlands got their driver’s licenses than in 2021. Still, their number is smaller than before the corona outbreak.

According to the Central Office for Statistics (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS), this is due to the corona measures. As a result, driving lessons could not take place, and exams had to be postponed.

On January 1st, 2023, 11,5 million people in the Netherlands – eight out of ten Dutch citizens – had a driver’s license, 0,7% more than one year before. The number of driver’s license holders increased most among young (-20) and old (75+) people.

At the beginning of this year, about 191 000 youngsters in the Netherlands had a driver’s license. In 2019, there were 227 000. However, the number of old drivers (75+) with a driver’s license has increased significantly in recent years due to the aging population.

More cars than car owners

The group of holders of a driver’s license is more extensive in rural municipalities than in cities. The CBS registered about 28 000 people 90 years or older in the Netherlands with a driver’s license.

Not every owner of a driver’s license has a car. For instance, young people have a driver’s license more often than a car. Nevertheless, the Netherlands registered 6,8 million car owners at the beginning of the year. Together, they own 7,8 million passenger cars.