Population of municipalities shrink

Almost half of all Dutch municipalities saw a decrease in the population in 2006, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Monday.

The population of the Netherlands as a whole grew by 22,000 people in 2006. But 226 of the 458 municipalities saw a decline in the number of inhabitants. Only one in five municipalities saw a decline in population in 2000.

The provinces of Zuid-Holland and Limburg lost the most residents. Two-thirds of the municipalities in Limburg saw a decrease in population, especially in the larger cities like Maastricht, Heerlen and Kerkrade.

There was a noticeable decline particularly in the number of 20 to 40-year-olds in the municipalities that saw their population shrink. The CBS predicts that a national drop in population will not be noticeable until 2034.

Source: Expatica Netherlands, 26 March 2007

Read the full press release from Statistics Netherlands here.