Concern as wealth gap widens in Amsterdam

The gap between rich and poor is increasing rapidly in European capitals, including in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is number 8 on the list of the most segregated cities in Europe. This is according the study Socio-Economic Segregation in European Capital Cities, Het Parool reports. "Amsterdam used to be an egalitarian society, but that time is past", Sako Musterd, professor of urban geography at the University of Amsterdam and one of the researchers involved in the study, said to the newspaper. He attributes the growing inequality in European capitals mostly to liberalization and globalization, two phenomena currently directly affecting Amsterdam. Amsterdam is right in the heart of globalization. An increasing number of international businesses are settling in the city, bringing high paid jobs with them. According to Musterd, this is great for the highly educated, but not so much for those with a lower education. Figures released by Statistics Netherlands earlier this month showed that foreign multinationals make up 31 percent of Amsterdam jobs. The capital is also being touched by liberalization. The government is withdrawing and is less able to dampen the inequality, according to Musterd. A prime example of this happening is the ever shrinking social housing market. The wealth gap in Amsterdam has leveled off somewhat after the economic crisis in 2008. Due to the crisis, many Amsterdammers do not dare to move, even if they were earning more. This resulted in the average income in poorer neighborhoods rising somewhat. But according to Musterd, this decrease is only temporary and the segregation in Amsterdam is structural. In the long term, the inequality will only grow, and that will have negative effects. "In general you can say that growing inequality threatens the sustainability of society. Children who grow up in lesser neighborhoods, are at a disadvantage. Socio-economic inequality also leads to inequality in the crime rate." Here follows the list of the most socio-economic segregated cities in Europe:

1. Madrid
2. Milan
3. Tallinn
4. London
5. Stockholm
6. Vienna
7. Athens
8. Amsterdam
9. Budapest
10. Riga
11. Vilnius
12. Prague
13. Oslo