Composition of the population changes in new housing estates

The population in many neighbourhoods in the Netherlands has hardly changed over the years. In some neighbourhoods, on the other hand, size and composition of the population have distinctly changed over the past five years. This applies in particular to new housing estates.

Higher birth rate in moderately urbanised areas

Between 2000 and 2005, the population in various new housing estates increased substantially as a result of large-scale relocations. This applies to Leidschenveen in The Hague. Between 2000 and 2005, the population in Leidschenveen grew from 60 residents to 12.5 thousand living in 3.9 thousand houses.

Besides people who arrive in new housing estates, births also cause the population to increase. On average, most children were born in 2004 in moderately urbanised neighbourhoods, for example spacious new housing estates such as Leidsche Rijn in Utrecht and Ypenburg in The Hague. In Zwolle, the new housing estates Millingen and Frankhuis also had the highest average birth rate.

Neighbourhoods in Zwolle with an above-average birth rate per thousand inhabitants by degree of urbanisation, 2004

More people move into and out of urban neighbourhoods

Highly urbanised neighbourhoods had the highest relocation rate, rural areas the lowest. Witbrant in Tilburg and Schuytgraaf in Arnhem, non-urbanised neighbourhoods with new housing estates, constituted an exception in 2004.
On average, the relocation rate is higher in neighbourhoods with a high amount of rented homes compared to neighbourhoods with a high amount of owner-occupied homes.

Neighbourhoods in Zwolle with an above-average relocation rate per thousand inhabitants by degree of urbanisation, 2004

Composition of the population may change

A high relocation rate can profoundly affect the composition of a neighbourhood. The proportion of residents with a non-western background can also change dramatically over the years. The proportion of people with a non-western background in the Netherlands increased 2 percentage points between 2000 and 2005. In Zwolle, there are six neighbourhoods where the proportion of residents with a non-western background has grown by more than 5 percentage points.

Neighbourhoods in Zwolle with an above-average increase of people with a non-western background, 2000-2005

Chantal Melser and Helma Schapendonk-Maas