Objective To perform a nationwide population based study in ATC on incidence, treatment and survival. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods All patients with primary ATC between 1989 and 2016 were identified in the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). Of all these patients excerpts from the pathology reports from PALGA: Dutch Pathology registry were linked to the data of the NCR. Standardized incidences were calculated, survival was estimated using Kaplan–Meier method and univariable statistically significant factors were included in a multivariable regression model. Results In total, 812 patients were included. Mean standardized incidence rates were 0.18/100 000 (range 0.11–0.27/100 000) with a significant trend over the years with an estimated annual percentage change of 1.3% per year (95% CI 0.4–2.1%). Median overall survival was 2.2 months, and estimated 1-year survival was 12%. Patients without distant metastases at diagnosis had an estimated 1-year survival of 21.6%. Prognostic factors for prolonged survival were double or triple therapy, age below 65 years, M0-status and absence of bilateral lymph node metastases. Conclusions ATC is rare, but often lethal, form of thyroid cancer, with a median survival of 2 months and 1-year survival of approximately 10%. The incidence is slightly rising in the Netherlands over the past 3 decades. There appears to be a subgroup of patients that survive longer, mainly those with relatively limited disease who underwent double or triple therapy. Further research is needed to define these patients more distinctively.