Why did Dutch birth rates fall after the 1960s?

Following the 1960s, birth rates in the Netherlands experienced a significant decline, shifting away from the exceptionally high fertility levels that had previously characterized the country. This demographic transition was primarily driven by two key factors:

• Increased use of contraception: The wider adoption of birth control pills became a major factor, which was itself a consequence of growing secularization within Dutch society.1
• Changing social roles for women: There was a marked increase in the participation of women in higher education and the workforce, which contributed to the shift in reproductive trends.1

By the beginning of the 21st century, these changes resulted in the Netherlands having some of the lowest birth and death rates in the world, leading to an aging society where population growth became largely dependent on immigration.1