A report published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has revealed that during the first quarter of this year, the country’s population has increased by around 191,000 more citizens.
According to CBS statistics, the number represents a bigger than double growth compared to growth marked in the same period in 2021, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Data also show that there has been an increase in immigration to the country, by 30 per cent, with most people coming from Ukraine. As a result, nearly 17.8 million people were living in the Netherlands at the beginning of October.
“The population of the Netherlands grew mainly due to external migration in the first three quarters of 2022. In the period up to and including September, 317,900 immigrants settled in the country. Over 97,000 of them came to the Netherlands because of the war in Ukraine. Emigration as well was up on one year previously, with 129,400 people moving abroad,” the report reads.
Statistics Netherlands further reveal that 188,500 new residents were added to the balance due to external migration, which means almost 2.5 times more than in the same period of 2021.
The migration balance would have been 102,500, or over 22,000 more than a year ago if migration from and to Ukraine was not considered.
In September, fewer children were born compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, mortality was relatively high while also exceeding the levels of 2020 and 2021.
According to statistics, in the first nine months of this year, the number of births exceeded deaths by 2,500. Thus, natural population growth was relatively low.
“This year, immigration levels are high, partly due to the situation in Ukraine. Especially in the first months following Russia’s invasion on February 24 2022, relatively many people came to the Netherlands from Ukraine. In the third quarter as well, still, over 18,000 Ukrainian refugees registered with a Dutch municipality,” the report also explains.
Besides, there was an increasing number of Asian immigrants in the Netherlands this year, especially compared to the period January-September 2021. The highest number of people migrating to the Netherlands come from India, Turkey and Syria, also from Afghanistan.
Emigration increased the most in the third quarter of this year, which has come mostly as a result of Ukrainian refugees leaving the Netherlands to return to their home country or other countries. Of those who settled here after February 24, 2022, over 11,000 have already emigrated again, and most of them returned to Ukraine, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.
SOURCE: Schengen Visa Info
