Net migration

Net migration is defined as the number of immigrants less the number of emigrants (including administrative corrections). To be registered as an immigrant, the anticipated length of stay in the Netherlands must be at least four months in the first six months following residence in the Netherlands. With respect to emigration, the anticipated length of stay abroad must be at least eight months in the year following departure from the Netherlands.
Not all departures are reported to the municipal authorities. If municipal authorities find out that a person’s address no longer corresponds to the address entered in the municipal population registers, an administrative correction is made and the person is removed from the register. If that same person later turns out to be a resident, he/she is re-entered into the municipal registers. The net balance of administrative corrections mainly refers to people who have left the Netherlands without informing the proper authorities and is therefore included in emigration.

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