Hinduism is the third largest religious group in the Netherlands, after Christianity and Islam; representing about 1.0% of the Dutch population in 2019. After the United Kingdom's and Italy's, the Netherlands' is the third largest Hindu community in Europe. There are between 200,000 – 240,000 Hindus currently living in the Netherlands, the vast majority of whom migrated from Suriname – a former Dutch colony in South America. There are also sizable populations of Hindu immigrants from South Asia and Caribbean countries as well as a smaller number of Western adherents of Hinduism-oriented new religious movements.
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Hinduism in the Netherlands in the context of Christianity in the Netherlands
Religion in the Netherlands was dominated by Christianity between the 10th and 20th centuries. In the late 19th century, roughly 60% of the population was Calvinist and 35% was Catholic. Also, until The Holocaust, there was a noticeable Jewish minority. Since World War II, there has been a significant decline in Catholic and especially Protestant Christianity, with Protestantism declining to such a degree that Catholicism became the foremost form of the Christian religion. The majority of the Dutch population is secular; however, historic societal pillarisation (verzuiling) based on religious lines continue to influence parts of Dutch society. Relatively sizable Muslim and Hindu minorities also exist.