VOORBURG, 09/12/03 - The Netherlands will in the coming years become a country of emigration. In 2004 and 2005, more people will leave than move into it.

On 1 January, the Netherlands will number 16.3 million inhabitants. With an increase of just 65,000 in 2003, population growth has not been so low in 20 years. It is expected to fall further to 55,000 in 2004 and 49,000 in 2005, according to figures published yesterday by the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS).

The CBS expects around 100,000 immigrants into the country and 102,000 emigrants, both in 2004 and 2005. In a couple of years, immigration will pick up again due to a recovery in the economy and slowing growth of the workforce. EU enlargement will also then make it easier for workers from Eastern Europe to settle in the Netherlands.

The expected decline in the population is also caused by an increase in the mortality rate due to the aging population. CBS is projecting 142,000 deaths in 2003, rising to 151,000 in 2008. At the same time, the birth rate is falling. The CBS predicts 197,000 births next year, 7,000 less than in 2003. Only by 2008 will the population pass the 16.5 million threshold, the CBS calculates.