City · Drenthe

Assen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Assen had 70,040 residents. 20.9% of them (14,640 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is about the same as the municipality of Assen (20.8%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (6.0%), other Europe (3.5%) and Indonesia (3.1%). 57.1% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.1 percentage points.

Residents: 70,040 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 20.9% 14,640 people
Born abroad: 57.1% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.1 pp in share with a migration background

Migration background, share of residents

Share of residents with a migration background per postcode.

Where residents come from

Origin of residents on 1 January 2026, as a share of all residents.

Dutch origin and migration background

79% 21%

Dutch origin 79.1% 55,405
Migration background 20.9% 14,640

Largest origin groups

Bars show each group’s share of all residents of Assen. For comparison, the line marks Municipality of Assen and the circle the Netherlands.

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

6.0% 4,170 people

Municipality of Assen 5.9% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

3.5% 2,480 people

Municipality of Assen 3.5% Netherlands 5.6%
Indonesia

3.1% 2,165 people

Municipality of Assen 3.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.4% 1,670 people

Municipality of Assen 2.4% Netherlands 2.3%
Germany

1.3% 925 people

Municipality of Assen 1.3% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.2% 840 people

Municipality of Assen 1.2% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

0.79% 550 people

Municipality of Assen 0.78% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.74% 515 people

Municipality of Assen 0.73% Netherlands 1.1%
Turkey

0.71% 500 people

Municipality of Assen 0.71% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.56% 390 people

Municipality of Assen 0.55% Netherlands 2.4%
Poland

0.41% 285 people

Municipality of Assen 0.40% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.21% 150 people

Municipality of Assen 0.21% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

Residents with a migration background, by whether they were born abroad themselves.

57% 43%

Born abroad (first generation) 57.1% 8,365
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 42.8% 6,270

Men and women

Men: 34,825
Women: 35,210

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Assen 20.9%

Higher than 82% of all cities in the Netherlands

Trend since 1998

Share of residents with a migration background, compared with larger areas.

Show

Measure % Residents

New CBS classification

20.9%

Assen
Municipality of Assen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Assen	Municipality of Assen	Netherlands
1998	13.4%	13.3%	16.7%
1999	13.7%	13.6%	17.1%
2000	13.7%	13.6%	17.5%
2001	13.7%	13.6%	18.0%
2002	14.0%	13.9%	18.4%
2003	14.1%	14.0%	18.8%
2004	13.8%	13.7%	19.0%
2005	14.0%	13.9%	19.2%
2006	13.8%	13.8%	19.3%
2007	14.0%	13.9%	19.4%
2008	14.1%	14.0%	19.6%
2009	14.1%	14.0%	19.9%
2010	14.1%	14.0%	20.3%
2011	14.1%	14.1%	20.6%
2012	14.2%	14.1%	20.9%
2013	14.2%	14.1%	21.1%
2014	14.3%	14.2%	21.4%
2015	14.6%	14.5%	21.7%
2016	14.7%	14.6%	22.1%
2017	15.1%	15.0%	22.6%
2018	15.5%	15.4%	23.1%
2019	15.8%	15.7%	23.6%
2020	16.3%	16.2%	24.2%
2021	16.6%	16.5%	24.6%
2022	17.8%	17.7%	26.0%
2023	18.7%	18.6%	27.1%
2024	19.5%	19.4%	27.9%
2025	20.4%	20.3%	28.5%
2026	20.9%	20.8%	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).

Postcodes in Assen

				Largest group
9403 Marsdijk	14.0%	13,700	+0.8 pp	Other Asia
9408 Kloosterveen	16.6%	10,185	+1.7 pp	Other Asia
9406 Lariks, Pittelo	28.1%	9,375	+2.2 pp	Other Asia
9402 Noorderpark	25.2%	8,700	+4.1 pp	Other Asia
9404 Oost	16.7%	7,360	+1.3 pp	Other Asia
9401 Centrum	22.7%	7,315	+4.7 pp	Other Europe
9405 West	32.1%	7,170	+11.0 pp	Other Asia
9407 Peelo	16.2%	6,235	+0.7 pp	Other Asia

All figures

Number of residents per origin group on 1 January. Figures up to 2021 use the old CBS classification.

Year	Total residents	Dutch origin	Migration background	Europe	Outside Europe	Turkey	Morocco	Suriname	Indonesia	Dutch Caribbean	Germany	Poland	Belgium	Other Europe	Other Africa	Other Asia	Other Americas & Oceania	Western migration background	Non-Western migration background
1998	55,480	48,060	7,415	1,955	5,450	250	195	355	2,480	175	860	90	85	920	465	1,235	295	4,655	2,765
1999	56,550	48,795	7,750	2,085	5,680	270	205	360	2,530	195	875	120	80	1,010	500	1,305	315	4,820	2,940
2000	57,625	49,735	7,895	2,165	5,745	260	210	355	2,515	230	885	115	90	1,075	510	1,355	310	4,875	3,015
2001	58,195	50,245	7,965	2,175	5,780	280	225	365	2,475	235	890	125	90	1,070	525	1,355	320	4,835	3,130
2002	59,440	51,135	8,300	2,280	6,020	295	225	390	2,475	260	915	145	95	1,125	635	1,445	300	4,945	3,360
2003	60,770	52,230	8,545	2,360	6,175	330	225	395	2,490	250	935	140	100	1,185	680	1,500	305	5,055	3,495
2004	61,125	52,645	8,465	2,325	6,135	315	230	415	2,465	270	920	140	90	1,175	690	1,440	310	4,970	3,510
2005	61,965	53,310	8,660	2,470	6,190	335	235	415	2,420	275	950	150	95	1,275	700	1,470	340	5,090	3,565
2006	62,610	53,940	8,670	2,545	6,125	355	250	415	2,405	285	965	170	95	1,315	650	1,445	320	5,130	3,545
2007	63,610	54,740	8,875	2,660	6,220	360	270	445	2,395	310	1,000	190	105	1,365	655	1,455	330	5,240	3,620
2008	64,745	55,655	9,105	2,715	6,370	360	285	470	2,400	315	1,010	215	115	1,375	685	1,505	350	5,335	3,770
2009	65,625	56,405	9,225	2,780	6,435	380	275	455	2,385	315	1,035	215	105	1,425	675	1,575	375	5,380	3,845
2010	66,110	56,815	9,290	2,810	6,475	360	290	450	2,400	325	1,055	215	105	1,435	660	1,605	385	5,400	3,890
2011	66,450	57,060	9,400	2,860	6,540	365	285	440	2,385	320	1,050	215	110	1,485	700	1,635	410	5,430	3,960
2012	66,490	57,080	9,410	2,860	6,545	380	305	445	2,340	345	1,045	235	105	1,475	725	1,625	380	5,400	4,015
2013	66,475	57,045	9,425	2,870	6,565	370	305	465	2,330	350	1,015	230	100	1,525	740	1,650	355	5,380	4,045
2014	66,475	56,970	9,505	2,905	6,605	360	310	455	2,345	345	1,005	250	110	1,540	755	1,640	395	5,420	4,085
2015	66,460	56,780	9,680	2,940	6,740	365	305	450	2,340	340	985	245	110	1,600	830	1,690	420	5,465	4,210
2016	66,320	56,565	9,755	2,895	6,860	350	310	445	2,315	360	970	245	100	1,580	850	1,805	425	5,400	4,365
2017	66,825	56,720	10,105	2,890	7,215	355	325	455	2,285	370	960	235	105	1,590	935	2,065	425	5,350	4,755
2018	66,970	56,575	10,395	2,885	7,515	360	325	450	2,265	375	940	230	110	1,605	1,035	2,255	450	5,335	5,060
2019	67,245	56,640	10,605	2,890	7,720	365	340	465	2,245	400	920	250	105	1,615	1,100	2,320	485	5,345	5,270
2020	67,875	56,780	11,095	2,975	8,120	410	350	470	2,235	415	925	265	110	1,675	1,195	2,520	525	5,425	5,670
2021	68,110	56,820	11,290	3,000	8,290	390	360	495	2,190	420	910	275	120	1,695	1,270	2,620	545	5,415	5,875
2022	68,260	56,135	12,145	2,930	9,215	410	365	500	2,280	445	955	275	125	1,555	1,330	3,175	695	5,390	6,120
2023	68,690	55,815	12,875	3,470	9,400	410	400	510	2,260	475	945	305	140	2,090	1,380	3,275	705	5,940	6,325
2024	68,985	55,500	13,480	3,680	9,800	435	395	515	2,215	470	935	295	145	2,310	1,465	3,575	750	–	–
2025	69,680	55,460	14,220	3,790	10,430	495	390	525	2,195	495	925	295	145	2,430	1,600	3,960	780	–	–
2026	70,040	55,405	14,640	3,830	10,800	500	390	550	2,165	515	925	285	150	2,480	1,670	4,170	840	–	–

Definitions and method · CBS 85640NED (2022–2026), 83503NED (1998–2023)