How did the Fall of Antwerp in 1585 affect the city’s population?

Following the Fall of Antwerp in 1585, the city experienced a significant demographic decline. Prior to the surrender, the population stood at approximately 80,000 people.12

Under the terms imposed by the Spanish governor-general Alessandro Farnese, the city's Protestant residents were required to convert to Catholicism or face exile. As a result, just under half of the population migrated to the north. Historical records indicate that between 1585 and 1589, the city's population dropped from 80,000 to 42,000. This mass emigration of capital, enterprise, and skilled individuals contributed significantly to the economic rise of northern cities such as Amsterdam.12