GELDERLAND - Population
Population stability by the year 2010
There has been steady growth in Gelderland's population over the last 10 years (+ 5.6 %) due to a natural increase and a high level of immigration. The birth rate (12.8 in 1999) is very close to the national average, as well as the infant mortality rate (5.3 in 1999). The greatest increase has been in the Veluwe, followed by Arnhem and Nijmegen. These areas now account for two-thirds of the province's population.
Gelderland's average population density is lower than the national figure (385 inhab/km² versus 468 at national level). Moreover, urban concentration means that most of the province is sparsely populated.
The provincial and national age structures are roughly the same. The numbers of young and elderly people correspond very closely, even though there is a tradition of people from other parts of the Netherlands moving to the quieter waters of Gelderland when they retire. The proportion of the 25-64 age group in Gelderland is near the national average.
Demographers expect the province's population to grow by 10 000 a year in the next few years. It is forecast that the population will stabilize at about 1.9 million in the year 2010. The majority of the province's non-Dutch nationals, who account for somewhat more than 2% of the total population, live in Arnhem and Nijmegen.
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