Economic upturn helps .nl to grow in first half of 2026
Growth linked to business start-ups
In the first half of 2026, the number of .nl domain names continued to rise. By mid-June, the total was 6,129,000, compared with 6,059,000 at the start of the year. In other words, the growth observed earlier this year has continued, ending the period of contraction seen in 2024 and 2025. What’s behind the recovery, and what does it mean for the Dutch domain name market?
Table 1: Monthly change in the size of the .nl zone over the last 12 months.
Month | Number of domain names +/- |
|---|---|
May 2025 | - 5,064 |
June 2025 | - 25,933 |
July 2025 | - 2,100 |
August 2025 | - 492 |
September 2025 | - 19,738 |
October 2025 | - 6,181 |
November 2025 | - 8,150 |
December 2025 | - 15,742 |
January 2026 | + 3,724 |
February 2026 | + 4,041 |
March 2026 | - 3,342 |
April 2026 | + 17,801 |
May 2026 | + 30,617 |
More registrations, fewer cancellations
After starting the year positively, demand for .nl domain names held up over the following months. As a proportion of all .nl domain names, new registrations were up on the same period of last year: 14.5 per cent compared with 12 per cent. That’s an excellent performance in a market where the penetration level is as high as it is in the Netherlands. Even more striking was the drop in the cancellation rate: as a proportion of the zone, cancellations fell from 16.5 per cent to 13.5 per cent, year on year. The thousand-plus SIDN-affiliated .nl registrars have evidently done a good job of highlighting the added value of .nl.
Growth linked to business start-ups
Growth in the demand for domain names has been driven mainly by an upturn in the number of people starting businesses or planning to do so. When the business start-up rate changes, that’s usually reflected in domain name market data before it’s visible in Chamber of Commerce data, because people typically get a domain name 3 to 6 months before they register their business. So the latest Chamber of Commerce figures are just starting to show the positive trend that emerged early this year, with more start-ups and fewer business closures.
Figure 1: Change in the number of business start-ups (Source: Chamber of Commerce Trends).
AI is changing internet use, but boosting demand
“Far from making domain names redundant, AI makes them more important”The upturn in demand is part of a dynamic internet landscape. People are making more and more use of AI tools for searching and browsing. And that in turn is driving centralisation of the internet, as people visit fewer websites. Yet the demand for domain names isn’t falling. On the contrary, AI is lowering the threshold to getting an online presence, e.g. by enabling the real-time creation of business websites and suggesting good domain names. AI is also a catalyst for the development of new applications, which need domain names of their own.
Potential influence of upcoming generations
Meanwhile, potentially challenging developments are taking shape on the horizon. One is young people’s engagement with the open web and the use of domain names. Research by SIDN and GfK has found that the online activities of the young are increasingly confined to closed platforms and AI interfaces, and that fewer of them see the potential value of having their own website or (business) e-mail address. An increasing proportion of people in their twenties cannot imagine why they might want a website. That could ultimately affect the demand for domain names.
Geopolitics mean greater risk awareness
Another important consideration is the geopolitical situation. An SIDN Panel survey revealed that geopolitics have so far had little direct impact on online investment, but could have major implications in the longer term. Of our respondents, 34 per cent reported that the situation is currently having little effect on their online activities. However, in their open comments, many say that the picture could change if uncertainty persists. Nevertheless, even uncertainty has a positive spinoff for our industry: entrepreneurs report investing more in cybersecurity and digital autonomy. Therefore, while the geopolitical situation may not have immediate implications for demand, it is driving changes in customers’ needs and priorities.
Sound footing, despite structural changes
The first half of 2026 has therefore been a positive period for .nl. Growth of the domain has been supported by macroeconomic developments, particularly in the number of businesses. At the same time, structural changes are taking place in internet use and the international context. While those changes aren’t yet affecting the demand for domain names much, they could be more influential in the longer term. We therefore investigate market trends on a regular basis and publish our findings on our website and in our newsletters. Want to know more about our research? Visit https://stats.sidnlabs.nl.
