Volksgetal

Volksgetal is a Dutch term used to denote the total number of people in a defined population, such as a country, region, or ethnic group. In this sense it is closely related to the concept of population size or census figure, though it is not a standard term in modern statistical usage. The word often appears in historical or literary contexts, where authors discuss the size of a nation or a people at a given time and its implications for resources, governance, or military capacity.

Origin and meaning: The word is formed from volk, meaning people or nation, and getal, meaning number. Its usage implies viewing the population as a coherent, countable mass rather than as individuals, and it can carry a rhetorical or nationalistic nuance in some texts.

Usage: In contemporary Dutch, more precise terms such as bevolking (population) or bevolkingsomvang are preferred in official statistics and everyday language. Volksgetal may be encountered in historical writings, political discourse, or works aiming for a traditional or stylistic tone. When used, it generally refers to the size of the population at a specific moment or in comparative discussions across regions or time periods.

See also: bevolking, bevolkingsaantal, census, demography, volk, nation.