Monitoring survey  |  Demographic characteristics of the partner regions

Demographic characteristics of the partner regions

The demographic characteristics of the DC-Noise partner regions clearly differ. One aspect all have in common is whitnessing an ageing society, caused by a combination of low fertility and an ongoing significant growth of life expectancy.

Contrary to the meaning of the NOISE-acronym, “shrinking Europe” is not (yet?) manifest in all regions. Generally speaking and up to now, actual population shrinkage is often limited rural sub-areas within regions: such as East-Groningen, smaller parts of Zeeland and some isolated cases (municipalities) in Flanders. However on a broader level, the Dutch province of Limburg, the Norwegion Sörlandet region and the Scottish city of Dundee present cases of more extended population decline. Population projections foresee a spread of population decline to more regions in the future.

Quite striking is that population decline often goes hand in hand with Brain-drain, especially in rural settings.