LIMBURG - Population
In 2003 Limburg had 1 141 889 inhabitants. The area has a high population density of 530 inhabitants per square kilometre, rising to 966 in South Limburg. In the past 10 years, Limburg?s population grew by 2%, with the south showing a decrease of just over 2%. The Netherlands as a whole has seen a rise in the number of elderly persons and a decline in the number of young people. This trend is significantly stronger in Limburg, however. In 2003 just over 28% of its inhabitants were under 25, whereas a huge 15.3% were over 64.
Since Limburg has a relatively large elderly population, there is also a fairly high percentage of widowed inhabitants at 6.1% (2003). In the past ten years the number of divorced persons rose from 4.2 to 5.8%. The two groups are particularly well represented in South Limburg, where they each account for 6.6% of the population. Compared to the Netherlands as a whole however Limburg still has a large population of married people (47.4%) and a comparatively low percentage of singles (40.7%).
Over the past 15 years, annual immigration figures totalled 8 309, with the figure for emigration being 6 782. In recent years, Limburg has seen more emigration and less immigration than the Netherlands as a whole. Limburg also had relatively fewer non-Western immigrants and emigrants, respectively 18.6 and 7.9% in 2002. This is partly because of the geographical position of the province, much of which borders on Belgium and Germany. With inland migration only being on a par with the national figure in the south of the province, it can be said that Limburgers are fairly attached to their region.
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