Demographic Change, Household Evolution and Housing Needs

Abstract

Demographic processes have a far-reaching impact on society in general and on the provision of public services in particular. The consumption of goods and the use of amenities are highly dependent on the age of the consumer and therefore the quantities consumed will fluctuate over time if successive cohorts differ in size. Both the public and the policymakers are very much aware of these problems, which not only makes them familiar topics with the popular press but also the subject of numerous academic studies. Although population growth is diminishing in the Netherlands (the population will grow from slightly over 14.5 million in 1987 to 15.6 million in 2000), the age composition will change dramatically, due to the drop in fertility over the last decades. The number of births per 1000 women dropped from 3.2 in 1960 to 1.6 in 1980 in the Netherlands, and from 2.7 in 1960 to 1.8 in 1980 in the United Kingdom.