Dutch library membership grows 3% nationally led by young adults as local gaps persist

National growth and accessibility measures

Data published by the Dutch national library KB and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) shows that library membership across the Netherlands grew by 3% last year. The strongest increase occurred among young adults, where registrations rose by 22%. Nationwide, youth membership among individuals under 18 years old increased by 2.4%, while adult memberships expanded by 4%. Membership remains free for all children and teenagers up to age 18, and over three-quarters of public libraries offered free or discounted cards to adult members in 2025.

State Secretary for Education and Emancipation Tielen commented on the nationwide development.

The library is on the rise and that is good news! Because the library helps children and adults grow. You can learn there, gain new ideas, meet others and of course borrow and read books.

Diverging trends across Dutch municipalities

Municipal figures show substantial divergence from the nationwide baseline. In Zaltbommel, approximately 15% of residents held a library membership, but adult membership dropped by 22.0% even as youth members grew by 6%. Zutphen recorded stable overall participation near 20%, featuring a 10.0% increase in adult members and a 6% decline in youth members. In Arnhem, where roughly one in five residents was a member, youth memberships contracted by 8% while adult holders increased by 3.0%.

Other municipalities mirrored or exceeded broader national gains. Youth membership expanded by 10% in Leiden, where 13% of the population holds a card and adult participation grew by 2.0%. Ede registered an 8% increase in youth cardholders alongside a 5.0% rise among adults, keeping its membership rate near 20%. In Nijmegen, youth members grew by 5% and adults by 2.0%, while Groningen saw 2% youth growth and 4.0% adult growth, maintaining a 16% total membership rate. In Almelo, library members accounted for approximately 14% of the population.

Impact of travel distance and household income

Physical proximity correlates with local library participation patterns across surveyed municipalities. Residents in Leiden live closest to facilities, cycling an average of 1.2 kilometers to reach the nearest branch, which is closer than in surrounding areas. Inhabitants in Groningen, Arnhem, and Nijmegen travel an average of 1.4 kilometers, while Zutphen averages 1.5 kilometers. Almelo residents cycle an average of 2.5 kilometers, and Zaltbommel recorded the longest travel distance at 3.5 kilometers, both representing greater distances than in neighbouring areas.

Erna Winters, network manager for public libraries at the KB, addressed the role of proximity in access.

There is always a need for a physical place where people can come together. That is why the distance to the library must be smaller.

Household income also correlates with participation rates in every surveyed municipality. In Zaltbommel, Arnhem, and Nijmegen, the proportion of cardholders in top-income households was approximately twice as high as in bottom-income households. In Leiden, high-income households were more than twice as likely to hold a card compared to low-income peers. Disparities were narrower in Zutphen, Almelo, and Ede, where the share of pass holders among high-income residents remained slightly higher than among lower-income groups.