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At Home in the Countryside

Original title: Thuis op het platteland.

The Dutch countryside is changing. The decline of farming and the changing use of space are closely monitored in research and by the media. But what about the people who actually live and work in the countryside?
This report focuses on the lives of people living in the countryside. What are those lives like today? What social trends have affected the rural population in the last decade? Do the lives of people living in the Dutch countryside differ from those of town-dwellers? Based on available empirical data, the different chapters of the report present a picture of various topics in key figures: demography and use of space; economy and prosperity; labour participation; education; health and care; housing; mobility; provisions; social safety; time and leisure time; and finally, participation. The elements in the various domains are summarised in the chapter on the 'life situation index'. This index is a combined measure of the welfare and well-being of individuals and households in the countryside.