The population of the Netherlands will grow more slowly over the next few years, the national statistics office CBS said in a new report on population trends on Wednesday.

The population stood at 16,578,073 at10.30am on Wednesday morning, the CBS told the Telegraaf.
This year, the population will grow by 86,000, followed by 60,000 in 2010 and even less in subsequent years.
The CBS said the slowdown is due in part to the higher death rate stemming from the ageing population and from a lower birth rate as the recession prompts couples to delay having babies.
Immigration
Immigration is also set to decline while more people opt to leave the country, the CBS said. This year, some 146,000 people came to live in the Netherlands while 112,000 left. Many of those leaving came from other EU countries.
Next year, the emigration rate is expected to rise slightly to 116,000. But the decline in demand for labour will lead to a downturn in immigration, with around 125,000 people moving to the Netherlands a year, the CBS said.