The map and article are interesting enough, but do not give a clear root cause why in Europe, for the past 60 years, rural populations are in decline. Lower quality of services and population decline are a self perpetuating downward spiral, but only because of privatised public services, that are following the market logic that investing in services only makes sense for large numbers of customers. The decline is a result of the neo-liberal economic policies of privatisation, that leaves the choice of offering of and investing in services like a trustworthy supply of electricity, water, telephone, internet, public transport, health services and education to private actors that choose not to offer these services in sparser populated areas.

In short: population decline in rural areas is caused by neo-liberal capitalism.

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