Migration background in the Netherlands, by postcode
Where do residents with a migration background live, and where do they come from? Official CBS figures for every postcode, city, municipality and province, from 1998 to 2026.
The Netherlands on 1 January 2026
- Residents
- 18,130,208
- Migration background
- 29.1% 5,271,067 people
- Born abroad
- 59.3% of those with a migration background
- Change since 2022
- +3.1 pp in share with a migration background
Share of residents with a migration background, per municipality
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Highest share / Lowest share
Highest share
- Den Haag South Holland 61.1%
- Amsterdam North Holland 60.7%
- Rotterdam South Holland 57.9%
- Diemen North Holland 55.9%
- Vaals Limburg 55.5%
Lowest share
- Urk Flevoland 5.7%
- Achtkarspelen Friesland 6.5%
- Tubbergen Overijssel 6.5%
- Dantumadiel Friesland 7.0%
- De Wolden Drenthe 7.7%
A growing share since 1998
Share of residents with a migration background in the Netherlands.
Show as table
| Year | Netherlands |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.7% |
| 1999 | 17.1% |
| 2000 | 17.5% |
| 2001 | 18.0% |
| 2002 | 18.4% |
| 2003 | 18.8% |
| 2004 | 19.0% |
| 2005 | 19.2% |
| 2006 | 19.3% |
| 2007 | 19.4% |
| 2008 | 19.6% |
| 2009 | 19.9% |
| 2010 | 20.3% |
| 2011 | 20.6% |
| 2012 | 20.9% |
| 2013 | 21.1% |
| 2014 | 21.4% |
| 2015 | 21.7% |
| 2016 | 22.1% |
| 2017 | 22.6% |
| 2018 | 23.1% |
| 2019 | 23.6% |
| 2020 | 24.2% |
| 2021 | 24.6% |
| 2022 | 26.0% |
| 2023 | 27.1% |
| 2024 | 27.9% |
| 2025 | 28.5% |
| 2026 | 29.1% |
In 2022 CBS switched to a new origin classification. Up to 2021 the line shows the old “migration background” figures; the overlap years show a small break (about +0.8 points nationally).
Largest origin groups
Residents with a migration background by origin, share of the total population.
Largest cities
Share of residents with a migration background in the 20 largest cities.
Provinces
- Flevoland 40.0% 462,860 residents
- North Holland 39.4% 3,009,370 residents
- South Holland 38.5% 3,882,440 residents
- Utrecht 28.1% 1,415,080 residents
- Limburg 26.6% 1,138,400 residents
- North Brabant 24.8% 2,676,880 residents
- Zeeland 23.8% 394,530 residents
- Groningen 20.7% 601,290 residents
- Gelderland 19.8% 2,173,225 residents
- Overijssel 19.3% 1,202,305 residents
- Drenthe 14.1% 508,025 residents
- Friesland 13.7% 665,235 residents
Explore by origin
Where residents of a specific origin live.
- Migration background 29.1%
- Dutch origin 70.9%
- European origin 9.6%
- Non-European origin 19.5%
- EU origin 7.2%
- Turkish origin 2.6%
- Moroccan origin 2.4%
- Surinamese origin 2.0%
- Indonesian origin 1.9%
- Dutch Caribbean origin 1.1%
- German origin 1.9%
- Polish origin 1.4%
- Belgian origin 0.76%
- African origin 4.7%
- Asian origin 9.9%
- American origin 4.7%
- Oceanian origin 0.19%
Frequently asked questions
How many people in the Netherlands have a migration background?
On 1 January 2026, 5,271,067 of the 18,130,208 residents of the Netherlands (29.1%) had a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. 59.3% of them were born abroad themselves.
Which municipalities have the highest share of residents with a migration background?
Den Haag (61.1%), Amsterdam (60.7%) and Rotterdam (57.9%). The lowest shares are in Urk (5.7%), Achtkarspelen (6.5%) and Tubbergen (6.5%).
Which origin groups are the largest?
The largest groups are other Europe (5.6%), other Asia (5.3%), Turkey (2.6%) and Morocco (2.4%), as a share of all residents.
How has the share changed over time?
Under the old CBS definition, 16.7% of residents had a migration background in 1998. Under the current one, the share was 26.0% in 2022 and 29.1% in 2026.
Is a migration background the same as being an immigrant?
No. It includes people born abroad (the first generation) and people born in the Netherlands with at least one parent born abroad (the second generation). CBS called this group “allochtonen” until 2016 and has classified residents by origin (herkomst) since 2022.
About the data
All figures come from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and describe registered residents on 1 January. Since 2022 CBS classifies origin by a person’s own country of birth or, for people born in the Netherlands, that of their parents.
Definitions and method →