1. Adding Value to the Urban Audit Some Demographic Trends
Regions for Economic Change & Demography
Jan Maarten de Vet

2. Context and Aim Urban Audit Pilot Project was carried out in 1998
The Urban Audit is a large-scale exercise started in 2002 by EC DG REGIO and EUROSTAT (supported by National statistical offices and local authorities)
Coverage 258 cities in EU 27 (2002)
Areas of coverage: demography, social conditions, economic aspects, education, civic involvement, environment, transport and culture
Data available for 1991, 1996 and 2001 (new 2006 data currently gathered by Member States)
Commission launched a call for tenders to interpret the UA data – which was won by ECOTEC/Nordregio/Eurofutures consortium
Study executed between December 2005 – January 2007

3. …Most Western European countries have both growing and shrinking cities, while Nordic countries have seen urban growth
Source: Urban Audit

4. ….The overall trend for cities in Central & Eastern Europe has been population loss, while many Southern European cities have been growing…
Source: Urban Audit

5. The ageing population as an overarching trend – the faster a city grows the lower its share of elderly people

6. Significant variations in numbers of young children
Source: Urban Audit

7. Significant changes in life expectancy
Source: Urban Audit

8. …Larger cities attract more migrants from greater distances…

9. Some conclusions
Population change varies between cities depending on part of Europe and within countries
The ageing population as an overarching trend – the faster a city grows the lower its share of elderly people
Migration as an important factor for larger cities - they attract more migrants from greater distances than smaller towns
Many underlying patterns can take place at the same time – the dominant factors vary from city to city
Trend towards larger numbers of one person households is pervasive
Cities and regions need to prepare for these demographic changes
-> Urban Audit as a unique source of information – for making comparisons across Europe

10. European Commission DG Regio:
More information:
European Commission DG Regio:
ECOTEC/ECORYS Team