On balance, the city loses many citizens, especially in the 23 to 30-year-old range, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Barely anyone older than 40 moves to Groningen, but when they do decide to live there, they rarely move out of the city.
The student city attracts many young people who will be living independently. More young people move to Groningen from municipalities in the northern Netherlands than move away from Groningen to another municipality in the north. ‘Young people from the surrounding areas will study in Groningen in order to move to the big cities of the Randstad for a fitting job after completing their studies,’ the CBS says.
Moving
Most students move to Amsterdam and Utrecht. Outside of the Randstad, many people also move from Groningen to Zwolle, and with good reason, the CBS states. It has previously been shown that graduates who leave Groningen will earn more than those who stay.
The majority of young people who study in Groningen are single (more than 60 per cent). Over half of the students who move out of the city are single as well. Three out of ten people who move out of Groningen go back to living with their parents.
