The number of households in the Netherlands is expected to increase by around 10% in the period to 2040. This is equivalent to an extra 800,000 households. It is worth noting that the Dutch population has been growing faster than expected over the past few years. This is largely due to the influx of immigrants, particularly in the larger cities. These cities are increasingly faced with the effects of globalisation.
The highest growth will be seen in the number of single-person households and the number of elderly people. On the ageing front, the Dutch population is undergoing what is termed double ageing; not only is the number of elderly growing, but people are on average living to an increasingly advanced age. The number of 65+ households as a proportion of the overall population is expected to increase from the current 28% to 38% in 2040.
Due to the ongoing urbanisation trend, the majority of these extra households will be concentrated in the urban regions of the country, with the highest concentration in the Holland Metropole region (the Randstad urban conurbation - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht - plus Eindhoven). Due to the influx of students and starters, the ageing of the population will be far less pronounced in the major cities than in the rest of the Netherlands. People want to live in these large cities, because that is where the jobs are and where they find a broad range of amenities. Due to the pressure on the larger cities, affordability and liveability are becoming more challenging in some sub-markets. As a result, a growing number of households are moving to the suburbs.
Demographic shifts in population, urbanisation and ageing are long-term trends that will continue to have an impact on living, shopping, working, mobility and leisure. These trends make it even more important to align the products in the real estate investment market with the future demands of both users and investors.