Substantial growth number of households in the Randstad in 2025
- Sharpest growth in northeast of the Randstad region
- Also increase in the number of households in North Brabant and Gelderland
- Declining population in northeast Groningen and South Limburg
- More European immigrants in the major cities
In 2025, there will be 8 million households in the Netherlands, an increase by 800 thousand relative to early 2007. Although already declining in various regions, the population in many Dutch municipalities is expected to grow in the future. The number of households in particular will grow considerably in many regions. In the Randstad region and surrounding area, the amount of traffic and people and the demand for houses will grow. In the provinces of North Holland, South Holland and Utrecht, the population is expected to grow by 410 thousand households. In the provinces of Flevoland, Gelderland and North Brabant by 260 thousand households. In the northeast of the province of Groningen and the south of the province of Limburg, on the other hand, the amount of households will decrease, as is shown in the most recent regional population and household forecast released by Statistics Netherlands and the Environmental Planning Office (PBL).
The number of households is growing rapidly in the northeast of the Randstad region. Altogether, the number of households in the Greater Amsterdam region and the province of Utrecht will grow by 190 thousand households (17 percent). In Greater Amsterdam, the population will grow by 90 thousand households, in the province of Utrecht by 100 thousand. The population in the province of Flevoland is expected to increase by 50 thousand households, particularly in the municipality of Almere.
Population growth will be more modest in the southwest of the Randstad region. The Groot-Rijnmond region and the ’s-Gravenhage agglomeration will both grow by approximately 40 thousand households up to 2025.
Despite a marginal population growth, the amount of households is still expected to grow distinctly in the provinces of Gelderland and North Brabant. This is caused by an increase in the number of one-person households. In the period up to 2025, the number of households will grow by 100 thousand in Gelderland and by 110 thousand in North Brabant.
In the south of Limburg and the northeast of Groningen, the number of households is anticipated to fall. In these regions, the population has declined in recent years, whereas the amount of households has remained more or less the same. Mortality plays an important part in the anticipated population shrinkage, as the population in these regions is ageing and many people move to other areas or emigrate. West of northeast Groningen, the population in the city of Groningen and surrounding municipalities is still growing by nearly 30 thousand households.
In the four major Dutch cities, the number of people with a western background is expected to grow in the period up to 2025, mainly due to immigration from other European countries, while the number of people with a non-western background is expected to diminish relative to the current situation. The proportion of people with a western background is expected to grow from 12 percent in 2007 to 16 percent in 2025. The proportion of people with a non-western background is anticipated to decline from 33 to 27 percent over the same period. Beyond the major cities, the non-western population is growing. In 2025, 13 percent of the Dutch population will have a non-western background, as against 11 percent in 2008.