Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) - While the big cities are growing slightly, statisticians expect the population in the small and medium-sized towns in North Rhine-Westphalia to decline by 2050. The state statistical office in Düsseldorf announced on Tuesday that the number of inhabitants would fall by around five percent in small towns and by around three percent in medium-sized towns.
Developments in births and deaths would result in a population decline of 14.9 percent in small towns and 12.5 percent in medium-sized towns by 2050. The statisticians expect part of this to be compensated for by immigration. The growth of the big cities (from 100,000 inhabitants) will be very moderate at 0.4 percent.
