September 30 Is the Most Common Birthday in the Netherlands

September Birth Patterns and Daily Peak Statistics

An average of roughly 41,000 people celebrate their birthday each day across the Netherlands. However, late September dominates the national demographic calendar. Following September 30, the dates with the highest birth concentrations are September 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 29. Outside of the autumn month, only May 2 and May 3 break into the top ten dates for birthdays. On an individual daily level, the CBS reported that September 16 recorded the highest single-day birth total last year with 565 newborns, closely followed by August 27 with 563 births and June 20 with 561 births. Every date in the top ten list of most common birthdays fell on a regular weekday.

Generational Shifts and Planned Births

The timing of peak birth periods has shifted significantly across different generations. Older residents born prior to 1940 show a high concentration of birthdays in the autumn months, with December standing out as a statistical uitschieter. For individuals born between 1940 and 1980, the birth peak shifts toward the spring. Younger generations born after 1980 record their highest birth frequencies during the summer and late summer. The CBS attributes this long-term demographic shift largely to the introduction of the oral contraceptive pill in the 1960s, which gave families greater ability to plan pregnancies. Official data also show sharp dips in birth rates on public holidays with fixed dates, such as Christmas, Sinterklas, Liberation Day, and New Year’s Day. The statistics bureau indicates this pattern stems from scheduled medical procedures like cesarean sections being avoided on holidays. Conversely, minor spikes occur immediately before and after official holidays, while April 1 is systematically avoided by parents as a planned birth date.