Boom and decline: This is how the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim is changing

Boom and decline: This is how the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim is changing

Parchim, Deutschland - The Demographic report 2024 of the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim reveals a field of tension between different developments in the communities. As Nordkurier , a clear picture shows: While places like Hagenow have been able to record an increase in residents of 9.1 percent in recent years Space to fight with a decline in the population.

The reason for growth in Hagenow is not least due to the stable infrastructure and excellent transport connection. No wonder that these factors promote suits and increase the quality of life. In a strong contrast, the Goldberg-Mildenitz office can be found, where the population fell by 8.6 percent in the same period. Among other things, a negative natural population development - more deaths than births - as well as inadequate suits are responsible for this. Rural regions in the east of the district threaten to fall behind.

The challenges for rural areas

But where does this difference come from? In West Germany, especially in the cities and surrounding area of ​​Hamburg, the growth is still high, while the east of Germany is fighting with other challenges. According to the data of the Federal Statistical Office currently living around 60 million people in large city regions, which corresponds to 71% of the total population of Germany. This dynamic leads to urban areas grow stagnatingly while the rural regions stagnate or even shrink.

population movements are crucial to understand the causes of these developments. Especially in rural areas, where hardly any positive moves were found in 2023, aging is a central topic. Data show that the proportion of people aged 67 and over increases steadily and could grow to 25.6% of the population by 2070. This gives the questions about the future of the communities and the associated living conditions, especially for older people, an increasingly urgent relevance.

The demographic change in the larger context

This change is not limited to Ludwigslust-Parchim, but represents an overall German phenomenon. As the Federal Center The number of people aged 67 and over in Germany has increased from 10.4 million to 16.4 million since 1990 and will probably reach 20 million by the mid-2030s. This demographic development not only puts the infrastructures in the affected communities, but also the social security systems.

It is clear that the challenges associated with demographic change must be mastered in both urban and rural contexts. Therefore, participation in a home check, as stimulated by the district administration, is a valuable opportunity for the residents to express their satisfaction with different areas of life and actively participate in the design of their communities.

What does it left to do? Municipalities have to ask themselves how they can make their offers attractive to young families and seniors in order to meet demographic challenges. After all, it is important to not only promote the influx, but also to secure the quality of life in the region. The exchange between the generations and a lively community culture could be the key to a positive development.