City · Drenthe

Emmen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Emmen had 59,345 residents. 21.9% of them (13,025 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Emmen (16.0%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (5.6%), other Asia (4.8%) and other Africa (2.7%). 60.0% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.4 percentage points.

Residents: 59,345 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 21.9% 13,025 people
Born abroad: 60.0% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.4 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

78% 22%

Dutch origin 78.1% 46,320
Migration background 21.9% 13,025

Largest origin groups

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

Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

5.6% 3,300 people

Municipality of Emmen 3.7% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

4.8% 2,850 people

Municipality of Emmen 3.2% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.7% 1,590 people

Municipality of Emmen 1.7% Netherlands 2.3%
Germany

2.2% 1,330 people

Municipality of Emmen 2.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Turkey

1.4% 850 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.89% Netherlands 2.6%
Indonesia

1.2% 720 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.88% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.2% 685 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.87% Netherlands 1.7%
Poland

0.72% 425 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.77% Netherlands 1.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.69% 410 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.48% Netherlands 1.1%
Suriname

0.66% 390 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.46% Netherlands 2.0%
Morocco

0.58% 345 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.34% Netherlands 2.4%
Belgium

0.23% 135 people

Municipality of Emmen 0.18% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

60% 40%

Born abroad (first generation) 60.0% 7,820
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 39.8% 5,190

Men and women

Men: 29,445
Women: 29,910

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Emmen 21.9%

Higher than 85% 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

21.9%

Emmen
Municipality of Emmen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Emmen	Municipality of Emmen	Netherlands
1998	11.4%	9.1%	16.7%
1999	11.7%	9.2%	17.1%
2000	11.9%	9.4%	17.5%
2001	12.5%	10.0%	18.0%
2002	13.0%	10.3%	18.4%
2003	13.1%	10.3%	18.8%
2004	13.3%	10.3%	19.0%
2005	13.5%	10.5%	19.2%
2006	13.9%	10.4%	19.3%
2007	14.2%	10.6%	19.4%
2008	14.5%	10.7%	19.6%
2009	14.9%	10.9%	19.9%
2010	15.2%	11.1%	20.3%
2011	15.5%	11.3%	20.6%
2012	15.3%	11.2%	20.9%
2013	15.3%	11.2%	21.1%
2014	15.6%	11.4%	21.4%
2015	15.7%	11.4%	21.7%
2016	15.9%	11.6%	22.1%
2017	16.1%	11.8%	22.6%
2018	16.3%	12.0%	23.1%
2019	16.8%	12.2%	23.6%
2020	17.0%	12.4%	24.2%
2021	17.2%	12.5%	24.6%
2022	18.6%	13.5%	26.0%
2023	19.6%	14.3%	27.1%
2024	20.6%	15.0%	27.9%
2025	21.5%	15.6%	28.5%
2026	21.9%	16.0%	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 Emmen

				Largest group
7812 Bargeres, Zuid	20.9%	9,745	+1.4 pp	Other Asia
7827 Rietlanden	12.1%	8,975	+0.9 pp	Other Europe
7823 Emmerschans, Emmerhout	24.6%	8,195	+2.2 pp	Other Europe
7824 Angelslo	36.0%	7,715	+3.4 pp	Other Asia
7815 Emmermeer	21.2%	5,970	+2.9 pp	Other Asia
7811 Centrum	27.1%	5,675	+13.5 pp	Other Europe
7822 Centrum Oost	18.9%	3,315	+5.6 pp	Other Europe
7826 Barger-Oosterveld	8.8%	3,005	+0.6 pp	Germany
7813 Delftlanden	15.1%	2,180	+2.6 pp	Other Europe
7828 Parc Sandur	16.2%	2,100	+3.4 pp	Other Europe
7814 Noord	33.7%	2,045	+7.0 pp	Other Africa
7825 Industrieterreinen	13.4%	410	−0.7 pp	Other Europe
7821 Industrieterreinen	33.3%	15	+33.3 pp	Belgium

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	54,690	48,435	6,260	2,950	3,290	610	260	310	765	170	1,535	120	95	1,200	405	570	200	3,855	2,415
1999	54,570	48,170	6,405	2,960	3,450	625	285	320	785	175	1,525	125	85	1,225	390	645	225	3,885	2,530
2000	55,170	48,580	6,580	3,100	3,485	660	270	345	750	185	1,550	125	90	1,335	395	655	225	3,995	2,590
2001	56,065	49,055	7,005	3,310	3,705	680	280	345	760	215	1,585	135	100	1,490	455	725	245	4,220	2,815
2002	56,665	49,265	7,385	3,455	3,940	710	305	350	770	255	1,575	135	105	1,640	500	810	240	4,365	3,045
2003	56,385	49,000	7,400	3,430	3,955	705	315	340	740	250	1,535	145	90	1,660	515	835	260	4,315	3,080
2004	56,510	48,995	7,535	3,440	4,095	745	340	335	765	230	1,540	160	90	1,650	510	870	300	4,355	3,175
2005	56,610	48,960	7,660	3,430	4,235	760	335	340	760	270	1,540	170	85	1,635	545	945	280	4,330	3,320
2006	56,865	48,990	7,890	3,460	4,430	775	335	345	775	295	1,520	170	105	1,665	565	1,040	305	4,410	3,490
2007	57,010	48,900	8,115	3,560	4,575	785	345	355	790	290	1,555	175	90	1,740	580	1,105	325	4,480	3,625
2008	57,180	48,885	8,295	3,745	4,550	760	360	340	780	295	1,735	180	100	1,730	575	1,115	335	4,680	3,620
2009	57,375	48,850	8,525	3,925	4,615	770	360	345	785	290	1,865	180	100	1,780	610	1,115	340	4,855	3,665
2010	57,455	48,670	8,760	3,960	4,810	795	360	345	780	300	1,835	190	105	1,830	700	1,175	355	4,905	3,865
2011	57,435	48,560	8,875	3,945	4,890	805	355	355	785	305	1,735	200	110	1,900	735	1,215	340	4,900	3,970
2012	57,140	48,385	8,750	3,885	4,845	810	360	350	750	325	1,680	225	105	1,875	725	1,180	350	4,810	3,925
2013	56,935	48,225	8,690	3,880	4,825	805	355	345	755	335	1,595	215	110	1,960	685	1,180	365	4,780	3,925
2014	56,810	47,965	8,845	3,930	4,920	835	350	350	740	320	1,600	220	105	2,005	735	1,210	385	4,820	4,020
2015	56,695	47,820	8,875	3,915	4,955	820	350	360	730	330	1,560	240	105	2,010	775	1,205	385	4,800	4,070
2016	56,730	47,730	9,000	3,915	5,095	825	360	350	720	325	1,520	230	120	2,045	840	1,295	380	4,785	4,215
2017	56,720	47,605	9,115	3,830	5,275	800	355	350	720	310	1,465	240	100	2,025	930	1,455	360	4,705	4,410
2018	56,490	47,275	9,215	3,800	5,415	805	340	355	705	310	1,435	255	100	2,010	1,000	1,525	375	4,655	4,570
2019	56,560	47,075	9,485	3,860	5,630	795	330	355	705	320	1,430	270	105	2,055	1,050	1,680	395	4,705	4,785
2020	56,575	46,940	9,635	3,830	5,810	785	330	360	710	325	1,390	250	105	2,085	1,100	1,775	425	4,690	4,945
2021	56,650	46,925	9,725	3,860	5,865	795	345	355	700	335	1,375	275	110	2,100	1,090	1,800	445	4,715	5,015
2022	57,405	46,750	10,650	3,950	6,710	805	360	365	740	370	1,450	305	145	2,055	1,205	2,305	550	4,855	5,415
2023	58,135	46,740	11,405	4,410	7,000	815	360	370	725	370	1,420	340	130	2,505	1,325	2,420	590	5,340	5,680
2024	58,780	46,680	12,090	4,880	7,210	815	355	380	730	400	1,410	375	130	2,955	1,420	2,500	605	–	–
2025	59,125	46,440	12,685	5,125	7,555	820	360	375	720	405	1,375	395	120	3,240	1,545	2,690	645	–	–
2026	59,345	46,320	13,025	5,195	7,825	850	345	390	720	410	1,330	425	135	3,300	1,590	2,850	685	–	–

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