ZEELAND - Population
Above average numbers of the young and the elderly
Over the past 10 years the population of Zeeland has grown by some 4%, less than the Netherlands national average. This is the result of a low level of natural population increase. The age pyramid of the region differs in some respects from the national pattern, with the age groups between 25 and 65 slightly less well represented than nationally, and the elderly consequently more numerous.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, since Zeeland is relatively sparsely populated and its urban areas are fairly small, educational establishments - particularly those for higher education - are rather thin on the ground. Students aged 16 and over tend to leave the province in order to study elsewhere. Secondly, the calm and peaceful environment, and the Dung and the elderly relatively low prices (of land for housing amongst other things), make Zeeland an attractive province in which to live, and especially to retire.
The group aged more than 65 represents 16.3 % of the population of Zeeland versus only 13.5% for the national one. In 1999, the birth rate was one of the lowest in the country and the infant mortality rate was the lowest in the country with 3.7 deaths per 1000 births. During the ten last years, the mortality rate in Zeeland is higher than the Netherlands national average.
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