Two-thirds fewer municipalities than in 1899, largest decrease in Zeeland

There are two-thirds fewer municipalities in the Netherlands than over a century ago. The decrease was strongest in Zeeland: the province had 109 municipalities in 1899, they now have 13. This was proven by analysis from ANP based on new numbers provided by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).There are currently 342 municipalities in the country, whereas there were over 1,100 in 1899. The average number of residents was 4,500 in 1899. Currently, the average municipality has around 52,000 residents.