Ranked superlatives
In English, to rank something just below the top spot, you use ordinal numbers like "second largest" or "third fastest". In Dutch, use op + a cardinal number (één, twee, drie) + na + the superlative.
This translates literally to "the largest after [number]". For example, "the second largest" is phrased as "the largest after one": de op één na grootste. Notice that één gets accent marks here so it isn't confused with the article een (a/an).
| This is the second largest city, but the population size is shrinking due to aging. | Dit is de op één na grootste stad, maar het inwoneraantal krimpt door de vergrijzing. |
| The geographical area is the second largest region, but prosperity is low. | Het geografische gebied is de op één na grootste regio, maar de welvaart is laag. |
Third, fourth, and beyond
Use this same pattern for any rank. To say "the third richest", you say "the richest after two": het op twee na rijkste.
| This is the third richest continent, without growing economically. | Dit is het op twee na rijkste werelddeel, zonder economisch te groeien. |
| It has shrunk due to aging, that third largest village. | Het is gekrompen door de vergrijzing, dat op twee na grootste dorp. |
For the "fifth poorest", you simply count the four that are poorer than it: op vier na armste.
| They try to improve the economy, those fifth poorest countries. | Zij proberen de economie te verbeteren, die op vier na armste landen. |
| The fourth smallest city has grown, partly through migration, partly through population growth. | De op drie na kleinste stad is gegroeid, deels door migratie, deels door bevolkingsgroei. |
Adjective agreement
The superlative adjective inside this construction follows standard Dutch adjective rules. It almost always gets an -e ending because ranked superlatives are typically preceded by a definite article (de or het) or a demonstrative pronoun (die or dat).
| The second largest country is shrinking instead of increasing prosperity. | Het op één na grootste land krimpt in plaats van de welvaart te verhogen. |
| This continent has the second largest population. | Dit werelddeel heeft het op één na grootste inwoneraantal. |