Foreign population growing more slowly

In 2003 the number of non-western foreigners grew by 46 thousand, 19 thousand less than in the previous year. Compared to 2000 the reduction amounts to almost 30 thousand. The decrease largely involves first generation immigrants . The main cause is the dramatic decrease in net migration in 2003.

Native Dutch inhabitants and foreigners

The Dutch population grew by over 65 thousand in 2003. In 2002 the population grew by 87 thousand, mainly non-western foreigners. Their number rose by 46 thousand. The native Dutch population grew by no more than 16 thousand. The number of Western foreigners grew by nearly 4 thousand.

The decrease in the population growth was strongly affected by the reduced growth of non-western foreigners, 19 thousand below the level of 2002.

Population growth by origin

On 1 January 2004 there were nearly 16.3 million people living in the Netherlands, of whom 1.4 million western and 1.7 million non-western foreigners.

Population growth of non-western foreigners by generation

Increase second generation Turks

The largest group of non-western foreigners come from Turkey. On 1 January 2004 over 350 thousand foreigners in the Netherlands had a Turkish background. Their number grew by 10 thousand in 2003. They were mainly second generation Turks born in the Netherlands.

Population growth people of Turkish and Antillean origin

Decrease in first generation Antilleans

The population growth among people from the Netherlands Antilles fell dramatically. In 2003 their number grew by 1.4 thousand as opposed to 2000 when it grew by nearly 10 thousand. In 2003 the number of first generation Antilleans even fell by 400, whereas in 2002 the first generation grew by more than 2 thousand. On 1 January 2004 almost 131 thousand people born in the Netherlands Antilles (including Aruba) were living in the Netherlands.

Ron Tas