Netherlands

House of RepresentativesSenate

House of Representatives

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections

Background

Election date(s) The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
17.03.2021
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature Date at which the previous legislature (elected at the previous elections) was dissolved.
25.03.2021
Timing of election Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections The expected date at which the next elections should take place, based on law or practice.
31.03.2025
Number of seats at stake Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
150
Scope of elections Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
Full renewal

Candidates

Total number of candidates Total number of people who registered as candidates for election. Does not include people who stood as candidates to become "substitute members".
1,579
Notes
- Candidates are not required to specify their sex on the list of candidates. Out of the 1,579 candidates who stood at the 2021 elections, 829 specified male and 439 specified female, while 311 others left the field empty.
- Candidates may run in more than one constituency in the Netherlands. Most candidates thus appeared several times on the list of candidates, which included a total of 20,909 entries for the 2021 elections.
Number of male candidates Number of male candidates
829
Number of female candidates Number of female candidates
439
Percentage of women candidates The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women candidates by the total number of candidates.
27.8%
Number of parties contesting the election This field may include either the number of parties contesting the election, or the number of coalitions/electoral alliance.
37
Number of other candidates Number of other candidates
311

Voter turnout

Registration Number of people registered to vote
13,293,186
Votes Number of people who actually voted
10,462,677
Voter turnout The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who actually voted by the number of people registered to vote
78.71%

Results

About the election Short description of the context and results of the election.
The 2021 elections returned an even more fragmented House of Representatives than the previous legislature: 17 parties, up from 13 in the previous legislature, entered the 150-member House of Representatives. Only four parties took more than 15 seats. Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) remained the largest force, taking 34 seats (up from 33 in 2017). The Democrats 66 (D66), led by former UN diplomat Ms. Sigrid Kaag, took 24 seats (up from 19), thereby becoming the second largest party. The Party for Freedom (PVV, led by Mr. Geert Wilders, the second largest party in the outgoing legislature), finished third, taking 17 seats (down from 20). Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra’s Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) came fourth, winning 15 seats (down from 19). On 7 April, the newly elected House of Representatives elected Ms. Vera Bergkamp (D66) as its new Speaker, replacing Ms. Khadija Arib (Labour Party, PvdA).

The 2021 elections followed violent street protests against lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outgoing Cabinet, led by the long-serving Prime Minister Rutte, resigned on 15 January 2021 over the child benefit scandal but he remained as caretaker Prime Minister. During election campaigning, the major parties focused on COVID-19 recovery, climate policies and immigration. The elections were held under special measures due to the pandemic (see note).

Note:
Early voting was held on 15 and 16 March 2021 for voters considered vulnerable to COVID-19. Voters aged 70 or older were given the option to vote by post. Each voter was allowed to cast a vote by proxy for up to three persons instead of two.
Number of parties winning seats The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
17
Percentage of parties winning seats The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of parties which won parliamentary representation by the number of parties contesting the election.
45.95%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
22.67%
Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political groups winning seats breakdown
Political group Total
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) 34
Democrats 66 (D66) 24
Party for Freedom (PVV) 17
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) 15
Socialist Party (SP) 9
Labour Party (PvdA) 9
Green Left 8
Forum for Democracy (FvD) 8
Party for the Animals (PvdD) 6
Christian Union 5
Volt 3
JA21 3
Reformed Political Party (SGP) 3
DENK 3
Party for the over 50 (50Plus) 1
BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) 1
BIJ1 1
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
91
Number of women elected
59
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
39.33%
Women Directly Elected
59

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
91
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
59
First-term parliamentarians The number of members who are assuming their parliamentary mandate for the first time following the election or renewal, regardless of their mode of designation.
64
Date of the first session The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
31.03.2021
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Vera Bergkamp (Female)
Political party
Democrats 66 (D66)
Date of election
07.04.2021