More and more Dutch people are leaving from the Randstad to elsewhere in the country. Last year, just over 75,000 residents moved from the Randstad to a municipality outside of it. That is the largest number in a year since the turn of the century, reports statistics agency CBS.
According to Statistics Netherlands, the migration from the Randstad has been increasing since 2014. In that year, just over 48,000 Randstad residents moved to a municipality elsewhere in the country. By 2020, that number had grown to about 70,000 and last year it increased further.
At the same time, the number of Dutch people who move to the Randstad has remained fairly stable: about 55,000 per year. On balance, the urban area has seen more people leaving than arriving since 2017.
Especially residents of thirty years or older are leaving the Randstad. On the other hand, people in their twenties are more likely to go there. The latter mainly happens because of study or work.
Municipalities close to the Randstad are particularly popular relocation destinations for people moving away from the Randstad. Relatively speaking, Nijkerk (Gelderland), Noord-Beveland (Zeeland) and Culemborg (Gelderland) had the highest ‘relocation balance’ last year; these municipalities see many more people arriving from the Randstad than residents moving there.
Although many people move from the Randstad to other municipalities, it is not empty. Population growth and migration from abroad, among other things, are leading to an increase in the population in many municipalities in the Randstad.