City · Sittard-Geleen, Limburg

Geleen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Geleen had 31,195 residents. 29.3% of them (9,135 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Sittard-Geleen (26.0%) and about the same as the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (5.3%), other Asia (4.4%) and Germany (4.3%). 53.3% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.3 percentage points.

Residents: 31,195 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 29.3% 9,135 people
Born abroad: 53.3% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.3 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

71% 29%

Dutch origin 70.7% 22,070
Migration background 29.3% 9,135

Largest origin groups

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

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

5.3% 1,665 people

Sittard-Geleen 5.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

4.4% 1,380 people

Sittard-Geleen 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Germany

4.3% 1,355 people

Sittard-Geleen 4.9% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

3.2% 985 people

Sittard-Geleen 2.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Morocco

3.1% 965 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.9% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.3% 705 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Belgium

2.0% 630 people

Sittard-Geleen 2.0% Netherlands 0.76%
Poland

1.4% 430 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.1% Netherlands 1.4%
Turkey

1.3% 400 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.69% Netherlands 2.6%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.95% 295 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.94% Netherlands 1.7%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.61% 190 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.61% Netherlands 1.1%
Suriname

0.40% 125 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.39% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

53% 47%

Born abroad (first generation) 53.3% 4,865
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 46.7% 4,270

Men and women

Men: 15,625
Women: 15,565

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Geleen 29.3%

Higher than 93% 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

29.3%

Geleen
Sittard-Geleen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Geleen	Sittard-Geleen	Netherlands
1998	23.6%	21.2%	16.7%
1999	23.6%	21.3%	17.1%
2000	23.7%	21.4%	17.5%
2001	23.8%	21.4%	18.0%
2002	24.1%	21.5%	18.4%
2003	24.0%	21.5%	18.8%
2004	24.3%	21.5%	19.0%
2005	24.5%	21.5%	19.2%
2006	24.4%	21.5%	19.3%
2007	24.2%	21.2%	19.4%
2008	24.4%	21.3%	19.6%
2009	24.3%	21.3%	19.9%
2010	24.4%	21.2%	20.3%
2011	24.4%	21.2%	20.6%
2012	24.6%	21.3%	20.9%
2013	24.5%	21.2%	21.1%
2014	24.5%	21.2%	21.4%
2015	24.7%	21.3%	21.7%
2016	25.3%	21.6%	22.1%
2017	25.3%	21.8%	22.6%
2018	25.5%	21.9%	23.1%
2019	25.7%	22.2%	23.6%
2020	26.1%	22.4%	24.2%
2021	26.3%	22.5%	24.6%
2022	27.0%	23.3%	26.0%
2023	27.6%	24.1%	27.1%
2024	28.5%	25.0%	27.9%
2025	28.9%	25.4%	28.5%
2026	29.3%	26.0%	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 Geleen

				Largest group
6163 Lindenheuvel	35.2%	7,605	+3.2 pp	Other Europe
6166 Oud-Geleen en Haesselderveld	22.8%	5,280	+2.5 pp	Germany
6165 Kluis	26.3%	4,735	+1.6 pp	Other Asia
6164 Zuid	27.5%	4,655	−0.8 pp	Germany
6162 Noord	27.9%	4,610	+2.9 pp	Other Europe
6161 Centrum	33.6%	4,285	+4.4 pp	Other Europe
6167 Industriegebied D.S.M. en Graetheide	0.0%	25	±0.0 pp	–

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	33,980	25,965	8,010	4,345	3,650	275	975	80	1,535	55	2,605	165	640	935	300	335	95	5,950	2,055
1999	34,115	26,070	8,050	4,345	3,710	295	985	85	1,535	55	2,585	165	650	945	285	355	115	5,925	2,110
2000	34,045	25,965	8,085	4,345	3,755	310	995	90	1,475	55	2,560	170	640	975	320	400	110	5,885	2,205
2001	33,950	25,845	8,090	4,370	3,730	330	980	90	1,435	50	2,535	165	630	1,040	335	400	110	5,865	2,230
2002	33,775	25,625	8,150	4,345	3,815	340	1,010	90	1,415	60	2,470	170	645	1,060	360	425	115	5,820	2,330
2003	33,490	25,435	8,050	4,245	3,820	350	1,045	100	1,395	60	2,420	170	620	1,035	350	410	110	5,700	2,360
2004	33,265	25,195	8,070	4,220	3,835	335	1,060	95	1,365	60	2,380	180	610	1,050	360	445	115	5,680	2,405
2005	33,120	25,020	8,100	4,185	3,920	365	1,095	95	1,355	60	2,345	190	590	1,060	355	450	145	5,615	2,495
2006	32,790	24,770	8,005	4,110	3,895	380	1,100	80	1,320	55	2,300	185	570	1,055	335	480	145	5,520	2,485
2007	32,670	24,730	7,920	4,025	3,895	385	1,100	105	1,290	65	2,255	190	570	1,010	320	485	145	5,405	2,515
2008	32,480	24,565	7,915	4,020	3,885	370	1,070	95	1,300	70	2,240	200	570	1,010	340	490	150	5,385	2,520
2009	32,425	24,570	7,865	3,990	3,865	380	1,035	95	1,265	75	2,175	200	560	1,055	345	535	135	5,340	2,525
2010	32,465	24,545	7,910	4,000	3,925	380	1,065	100	1,270	70	2,150	210	555	1,085	365	535	140	5,315	2,590
2011	32,260	24,400	7,870	3,945	3,920	370	1,075	100	1,245	75	2,095	200	530	1,120	345	565	145	5,260	2,610
2012	32,165	24,255	7,920	3,905	4,015	375	1,090	90	1,255	65	2,050	210	545	1,100	350	620	170	5,245	2,665
2013	31,985	24,165	7,835	3,850	3,985	375	1,070	90	1,235	65	1,990	190	565	1,105	355	615	180	5,175	2,665
2014	31,935	24,120	7,815	3,840	3,980	360	1,075	95	1,220	85	1,955	230	540	1,115	350	625	170	5,135	2,680
2015	31,900	24,035	7,865	3,820	4,050	355	1,095	90	1,205	80	1,905	235	535	1,145	385	665	175	5,100	2,750
2016	32,015	23,930	8,085	3,845	4,240	370	1,110	100	1,195	90	1,865	245	555	1,180	400	805	170	5,115	2,960
2017	31,970	23,875	8,095	3,805	4,285	380	1,095	105	1,180	85	1,815	250	545	1,195	440	835	165	5,060	3,040
2018	31,830	23,705	8,125	3,805	4,315	365	1,050	110	1,165	85	1,755	250	550	1,250	450	910	180	5,045	3,075
2019	31,630	23,500	8,130	3,765	4,360	375	1,020	105	1,140	85	1,695	240	555	1,275	495	960	180	4,995	3,130
2020	31,670	23,410	8,260	3,825	4,435	370	1,025	105	1,130	100	1,645	290	555	1,335	520	1,000	185	5,030	3,230
2021	31,250	23,030	8,220	3,740	4,480	390	995	115	1,080	105	1,560	315	560	1,305	565	1,035	195	4,910	3,310
2022	31,070	22,675	8,385	3,745	4,655	395	975	115	1,065	145	1,520	305	620	1,290	585	1,155	230	4,850	3,355
2023	31,190	22,580	8,605	3,930	4,670	380	965	110	1,070	130	1,500	325	650	1,465	580	1,195	230	5,040	3,365
2024	31,485	22,505	8,975	4,115	4,860	380	1,010	125	1,020	140	1,460	375	620	1,655	615	1,310	255	–	–
2025	31,335	22,285	9,045	4,050	5,000	385	1,000	130	1,005	185	1,405	410	630	1,605	655	1,375	250	–	–
2026	31,195	22,070	9,135	4,080	5,050	400	965	125	985	190	1,355	430	630	1,665	705	1,380	295	–	–

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