City · Gulpen-Wittem, Limburg

Epen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Epen had 980 residents. 12.2% of them (120 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than the municipality of Gulpen-Wittem (16.3%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (4.1%), Belgium (2.6%) and other Europe (2.6%). 37.5% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has fallen by 0.9 percentage points.

Residents: 980 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 12.2% 120 people
Born abroad: 37.5% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: −0.9 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

88%

Dutch origin 87.8% 860
Migration background 12.2% 120

Largest origin groups

Bars show each group’s share of all residents of Epen. For comparison, the line marks Gulpen-Wittem and the circle the Netherlands.

Germany

4.1% 40 people

Gulpen-Wittem 4.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Belgium

2.6% 25 people

Gulpen-Wittem 2.7% Netherlands 0.76%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

2.6% 25 people

Gulpen-Wittem 3.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.0% 10 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.86% Netherlands 1.7%
Morocco

0.51% 5 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.25% Netherlands 2.4%
Indonesia

0.51% 5 people

Gulpen-Wittem 1.2% Netherlands 1.9%
Poland

0.51% 5 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.57% Netherlands 1.4%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

0.51% 5 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.75% Netherlands 2.3%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

0.51% 5 people

Gulpen-Wittem 1.9% Netherlands 5.3%
Turkey

0.0% 0 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.22% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.0% 0 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.11% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.0% 0 people

Gulpen-Wittem 0.14% Netherlands 1.1%

First and second generation

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

38% 67%

Born abroad (first generation) 37.5% 45
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 66.7% 80

Men and women

Men: 495
Women: 485

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Epen 12.2%

Higher than 48% 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

12.2%

Epen
Gulpen-Wittem
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Epen	Gulpen-Wittem	Netherlands
1998	12.2%	14.3%	16.7%
1999	12.9%	13.9%	17.1%
2000	12.5%	14.0%	17.5%
2001	12.1%	14.8%	18.0%
2002	12.2%	14.5%	18.4%
2003	13.3%	14.6%	18.8%
2004	12.8%	13.5%	19.0%
2005	13.2%	13.4%	19.2%
2006	12.9%	13.2%	19.3%
2007	13.6%	13.2%	19.4%
2008	13.5%	13.1%	19.6%
2009	13.5%	13.2%	19.9%
2010	13.6%	13.0%	20.3%
2011	13.7%	12.8%	20.6%
2012	13.2%	12.9%	20.9%
2013	12.9%	12.8%	21.1%
2014	13.2%	13.1%	21.4%
2015	14.0%	13.5%	21.7%
2016	13.7%	14.3%	22.1%
2017	13.5%	13.7%	22.6%
2018	13.3%	13.8%	23.1%
2019	13.3%	13.9%	23.6%
2020	13.4%	14.1%	24.2%
2021	12.3%	14.2%	24.6%
2022	13.1%	15.1%	26.0%
2023	13.0%	15.8%	27.1%
2024	12.7%	15.8%	27.9%
2025	12.5%	16.1%	28.5%
2026	12.2%	16.3%	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 Epen

				Largest group
6285 Epen	12.2%	980	−0.9 pp	Germany

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	Morocco	Indonesia	Dutch Caribbean	Germany	Poland	Belgium	Other Europe	Other Africa	Other Asia	Other Americas & Oceania	Western migration background	Non-Western migration background
1998	1,110	970	135	120	20	0	10	0	45	0	70	5	0	5	5	135	0
1999	1,120	975	145	130	15	0	10	0	50	0	70	10	0	5	0	140	5
2000	1,120	980	140	130	10	0	10	0	50	0	65	15	0	0	0	140	0
2001	1,115	985	135	125	10	0	10	0	45	0	70	10	0	0	0	135	5
2002	1,105	975	135	115	15	0	10	0	45	0	60	10	0	5	0	130	10
2003	1,090	945	145	120	15	0	15	0	45	0	65	10	0	0	0	135	5
2004	1,090	955	140	120	20	0	10	0	45	0	60	15	0	10	0	130	10
2005	1,100	950	145	125	20	0	15	0	50	0	65	10	0	5	0	140	10
2006	1,125	975	145	125	15	0	15	0	45	5	60	15	0	0	0	140	5
2007	1,105	960	150	125	25	0	15	0	40	0	60	25	0	5	5	145	5
2008	1,115	965	150	125	25	0	15	0	45	0	60	20	0	5	5	145	5
2009	1,110	960	150	125	30	0	15	0	50	0	60	15	5	5	5	145	10
2010	1,100	955	150	115	25	0	15	0	40	0	60	15	0	5	5	135	10
2011	1,095	950	150	120	30	0	10	0	40	0	55	25	5	10	5	135	15
2012	1,100	955	145	115	35	0	15	0	35	0	55	25	5	5	10	130	10
2013	1,085	945	140	115	30	0	10	0	35	0	50	30	5	5	10	130	15
2014	1,095	950	145	115	35	0	15	0	45	0	50	20	0	10	10	135	10
2015	1,075	925	150	120	30	0	15	0	45	0	50	25	0	5	10	140	15
2016	1,060	915	145	120	30	0	10	5	45	0	45	30	5	10	0	135	20
2017	1,075	930	145	110	35	0	15	0	35	5	45	25	5	10	5	130	15
2018	1,050	910	140	110	30	0	10	0	40	0	40	30	5	10	5	120	20
2019	1,055	915	140	105	35	0	10	0	40	5	35	25	5	10	10	120	20
2020	1,010	875	135	100	30	0	15	0	40	0	35	25	5	5	5	115	20
2021	1,020	895	125	90	35	0	10	0	40	5	30	15	5	10	10	110	20
2022	1,030	900	135	95	40	0	10	0	40	0	35	20	5	10	5	110	25
2023	1,035	895	135	100	35	5	15	0	40	5	35	25	0	10	5	110	25
2024	1,020	895	130	95	35	5	10	0	40	5	30	20	5	10	5	–	–
2025	1,000	880	125	95	30	5	10	0	40	5	25	25	5	10	5	–	–
2026	980	860	120	90	30	5	5	0	40	5	25	25	5	5	10	–	–

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