This is evident from figures published today by Statistics Netherlands. The agency itself mentions ‘strong population growth for the first six months.’ Almost half of the entrants come from Ukraine. “But more people also settled from other countries,” reports the figures agency, which indicates that only 45,000 newcomers come from other EU countries. In the last six months, 72,000 Dutch people left to seek their happiness elsewhere. Since there were 3,000 births less than deaths, the net population increase is 123,000 people.
At the beginning of this month, our country had 17.7 million inhabitants. Demographer Jan Latten warned last month in De Telegraaf about exceptional population growth in 2022 and finds the first confirmation of his prediction in the latest CBS figures. “We are heading for an immigration record with numbers that have never been seen before.” Things went fast in 1946, a year after the war, he reports: “But then they were babies. Now they are immigrants, we are heading for 18 million inhabitants,” the population expert calculates when asked.
Latten notes that the first half of the year is usually quieter and that the large influx is usually only noted in the autumn. “Then there will be many new students, but also labor migrants who have their children finish the school year in their own country.” If immigration in August and September keeps pace with that in previous years, Latten expects a growth of approximately 200,000 people for this entire calendar year.
Issues
The demographer foresees immediate problems due to the record immigration, including in the area of housing. Estimates are based on a housing shortage of 300,000. That will only grow.”
Reassuring predictions about Ukrainians returning home should also be viewed critically, Latten said. “Many will soon have a job here and want to stay. They are then the new European labor migrants.”