DRENTHE - Population
Employment opportunities - the motor for population growth
The traditional means of existence did not provide enough employment for the steadily increasing population, which resulted in Drenthe recording a net migration loss between 1880 and 1960. It was only in the 1950s, when industrialization eventually reached the area, that the situation slowly started to change. Since 1962 there has been a steady influx of migration into Drenthe due to the growing supply of jobs and accommodation.
The age structure of the population is in line with the national pattern. Thus there is a large proportion in the 25 to 65 age-group. In 2001, the birth rate in the province was equal to 12.3 and the infant mortality rate to 5.4. Nevertheless, the population density in 2002 was the lowest in the country with 180 inhabitants per km2.
The process of urbanisation and the increase in employment opportunities was mirrored by a steady rise in the population over the following decades (+ 9% from 1990 to 2003). Even elderly people are now settling down more often in Drenthe on account of the attractive environment, many of these having moved over from the west of the country. At the same time, a large number of young people are leaving the province, as those in the 15 to 25 age-group often look outside Drenthe for their education and jobs. Very few foreigners live and work in Drenthe, with under 1% of the population being of non-Dutch origin.
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