City · Groningen

Groningen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Groningen had 211,390 residents. 32.3% of them (68,320 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Groningen (30.0%) and higher than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (8.7%), other Asia (7.2%) and other Africa (2.8%). 67.5% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.3 percentage points.

Residents: 211,390 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 32.3% 68,320 people
Born abroad: 67.5% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.3 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

68% 32%

Dutch origin 67.7% 143,095
Migration background 32.3% 68,320

Largest origin groups

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

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

8.7% 18,350 people

Municipality of Groningen 8.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

7.2% 15,120 people

Municipality of Groningen 6.6% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.8% 5,905 people

Municipality of Groningen 2.6% Netherlands 2.3%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

2.6% 5,440 people

Municipality of Groningen 2.4% Netherlands 1.7%
Germany

2.5% 5,245 people

Municipality of Groningen 2.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

2.5% 5,205 people

Municipality of Groningen 2.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

2.0% 4,300 people

Municipality of Groningen 1.8% Netherlands 1.1%
Suriname

1.5% 3,160 people

Municipality of Groningen 1.4% Netherlands 2.0%
Turkey

1.1% 2,255 people

Municipality of Groningen 1.0% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.61% 1,290 people

Municipality of Groningen 0.55% Netherlands 2.4%
Poland

0.59% 1,255 people

Municipality of Groningen 0.55% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.35% 745 people

Municipality of Groningen 0.34% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

67% 33%

Born abroad (first generation) 67.5% 46,110
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 32.5% 22,205

Men and women

Men: 105,265
Women: 106,130

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Groningen 32.3%

Higher than 95% 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

32.3%

Groningen
Municipality of Groningen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Groningen	Municipality of Groningen	Netherlands
1998	15.4%	14.4%	16.7%
1999	15.9%	14.9%	17.1%
2000	16.4%	15.4%	17.5%
2001	16.9%	15.9%	18.0%
2002	17.5%	16.5%	18.4%
2003	17.9%	16.9%	18.8%
2004	18.1%	17.0%	19.0%
2005	18.4%	17.4%	19.2%
2006	18.5%	17.5%	19.3%
2007	18.7%	17.5%	19.4%
2008	18.9%	17.7%	19.6%
2009	19.7%	18.4%	19.9%
2010	20.2%	18.9%	20.3%
2011	20.7%	19.4%	20.6%
2012	21.3%	19.9%	20.9%
2013	21.8%	20.4%	21.1%
2014	22.2%	20.8%	21.4%
2015	22.6%	21.1%	21.7%
2016	23.0%	21.6%	22.1%
2017	23.9%	22.4%	22.6%
2018	24.7%	23.0%	23.1%
2019	25.8%	24.0%	23.6%
2020	26.7%	24.7%	24.2%
2021	27.0%	25.0%	24.6%
2022	29.0%	26.9%	26.0%
2023	30.5%	28.3%	27.1%
2024	31.1%	29.0%	27.9%
2025	31.8%	29.5%	28.5%
2026	32.3%	30.0%	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 Groningen

				Largest group
9713 Oud-Oost	33.3%	13,500	+2.2 pp	Other Asia
9743 Nieuw-West	45.0%	12,865	+5.8 pp	Other Asia
9721 Midden-Zuid	28.3%	11,590	+0.2 pp	Other Asia
9742 Nieuw-Noord	45.8%	11,265	+4.8 pp	Other Asia
9712 Centrum	35.4%	11,215	+2.8 pp	Other Europe
9728 Zuidwest	22.9%	10,630	+1.1 pp	Other Asia
9711 Centrum	38.1%	10,405	+3.1 pp	Other Europe
9718 Oud-West, Centrum	29.6%	9,745	+1.5 pp	Other Europe
9722 Midden-Zuid	24.2%	8,465	+2.6 pp	Other Europe
9741 Nieuw-Noord	45.8%	8,360	+8.5 pp	Other Asia
9715 Oud-Noord	38.9%	8,285	+3.0 pp	Other Europe
9746 Nieuw-West	29.4%	7,880	+4.3 pp	Other Europe
9731 Nieuw-Oost, Noordoost	19.8%	7,730	+2.0 pp	Other Europe
9723 Zuidoost	33.3%	6,800	+8.4 pp	Other Asia
9717 Oud-West	29.2%	6,430	+1.7 pp	Other Europe
9714 Oud-Noord	28.5%	6,380	+2.1 pp	Other Europe
9727 Oud-Zuid	27.3%	6,330	+4.2 pp	Other Europe
9725 Oud-Zuid	28.9%	6,220	+1.0 pp	Other Europe
9736 Noordoost	32.8%	5,955	+1.7 pp	Other Asia
9737 Noordoost	28.4%	5,885	+2.0 pp	Other Europe
9744 Hoogkerk	17.2%	5,565	+3.1 pp	Indonesia
9726 Oud-Zuid	37.1%	5,210	+3.1 pp	Other Europe
9732 Nieuw-Oost	29.8%	5,125	+2.2 pp	Other Asia
9724 Oud-Zuid	28.9%	4,985	+1.8 pp	Other Europe
9716 Oud-Noord	44.3%	4,010	+4.9 pp	Other Asia
9733 Nieuw-Oost	29.4%	3,670	+1.3 pp	Other Asia
9745 Hoogkerk, Nieuw-West	18.1%	3,060	+2.7 pp	Other Asia
9734 Nieuw-Oost	15.0%	2,670	+0.6 pp	Other Europe
9747 Nieuw-Noord	99.1%	560	+49.1 pp	Other Europe
9738 Noordoost	17.1%	380	+5.6 pp	Other Europe
9735 Nieuw-Oost	13.6%	220	+0.3 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	168,400	142,495	25,905	7,900	18,035	830	735	3,010	5,985	2,080	3,530	285	350	3,735	1,415	2,725	1,255	14,555	11,340
1999	170,730	143,550	27,175	8,310	18,860	835	750	3,060	6,035	2,350	3,605	305	340	4,060	1,530	3,000	1,310	15,005	12,170
2000	172,800	144,395	28,395	8,640	19,760	855	790	3,120	6,055	2,565	3,630	315	380	4,315	1,680	3,305	1,390	15,400	12,995
2001	174,245	144,700	29,530	8,960	20,575	875	810	3,115	6,055	2,795	3,655	365	385	4,555	1,885	3,580	1,460	15,735	13,780
2002	175,560	144,830	30,715	9,190	21,515	950	875	3,095	6,105	3,030	3,645	400	405	4,740	2,120	3,810	1,535	16,045	14,655
2003	177,155	145,490	31,655	9,325	22,320	1,010	910	3,115	6,100	3,095	3,615	395	400	4,915	2,375	4,105	1,610	16,205	15,465
2004	179,165	146,830	32,360	9,545	22,810	1,060	940	3,150	6,145	3,165	3,620	425	420	5,080	2,345	4,330	1,680	16,435	15,920
2005	180,585	147,375	33,230	10,100	23,130	1,085	960	3,170	6,095	3,175	3,745	485	420	5,450	2,385	4,510	1,750	16,930	16,260
2006	180,700	147,270	33,460	10,315	23,095	1,165	1,005	3,185	5,975	3,055	3,890	535	415	5,475	2,335	4,580	1,800	17,060	16,370
2007	181,605	147,640	33,965	10,600	23,390	1,210	1,005	3,135	5,915	3,055	3,945	585	430	5,645	2,335	4,765	1,970	17,380	16,610
2008	182,495	147,940	34,540	10,705	23,835	1,250	985	3,120	5,870	3,130	3,980	595	450	5,680	2,390	5,095	1,995	17,475	17,080
2009	184,235	148,005	36,235	11,645	24,590	1,315	1,050	3,165	5,840	3,240	4,415	640	435	6,155	2,490	5,430	2,060	18,360	17,855
2010	187,300	149,520	37,785	12,375	25,400	1,395	1,060	3,180	5,795	3,405	4,820	660	445	6,455	2,605	5,710	2,255	19,175	18,580
2011	189,995	150,650	39,340	13,350	25,975	1,385	1,065	3,210	5,760	3,420	5,200	710	495	6,945	2,745	6,010	2,385	20,160	19,160
2012	193,105	152,095	41,065	14,210	26,815	1,445	1,135	3,240	5,750	3,435	5,655	710	480	7,365	2,895	6,360	2,555	21,120	19,915
2013	195,415	152,835	42,545	15,065	27,505	1,440	1,150	3,280	5,715	3,505	5,840	720	525	7,980	3,110	6,670	2,635	21,980	20,550
2014	198,310	154,210	44,100	15,820	28,280	1,455	1,210	3,295	5,645	3,550	6,005	755	525	8,535	3,270	6,950	2,905	22,760	21,350
2015	200,335	155,120	45,215	16,130	29,075	1,475	1,220	3,325	5,610	3,585	5,920	770	530	8,910	3,425	7,305	3,130	23,150	22,070
2016	200,955	154,700	46,255	16,495	29,755	1,445	1,240	3,325	5,580	3,650	5,870	770	525	9,330	3,535	7,700	3,280	23,490	22,765
2017	201,600	153,440	48,160	17,260	30,900	1,490	1,215	3,320	5,520	3,725	5,700	800	545	10,215	3,795	8,520	3,320	24,260	23,900
2018	201,635	151,795	49,840	17,925	31,915	1,515	1,230	3,285	5,440	3,730	5,640	800	570	10,915	3,920	9,365	3,430	24,870	24,960
2019	202,305	150,100	52,205	19,200	32,995	1,615	1,240	3,285	5,370	3,770	5,870	795	580	11,955	4,200	9,895	3,620	26,150	26,040
2020	203,120	148,880	54,240	20,345	33,895	1,705	1,235	3,265	5,265	3,830	5,885	845	575	13,040	4,380	10,400	3,815	27,265	26,965
2021	202,910	148,145	54,765	20,870	33,900	1,690	1,240	3,225	5,075	3,935	5,970	955	600	13,345	4,560	10,315	3,860	27,605	27,165
2022	203,875	144,755	59,100	22,210	36,875	1,775	1,250	3,215	5,270	4,095	6,070	1,045	665	14,465	4,900	11,870	4,510	29,040	28,020
2023	206,035	143,150	62,875	24,310	38,570	1,965	1,260	3,190	5,340	4,170	5,975	1,145	705	16,465	5,210	12,675	4,750	31,300	29,520
2024	211,140	145,375	65,760	25,405	40,380	2,135	1,285	3,200	5,280	4,265	5,835	1,260	725	17,570	5,510	13,650	5,085	–	–
2025	211,685	144,365	67,320	25,780	41,565	2,195	1,305	3,195	5,245	4,310	5,500	1,235	745	18,265	5,735	14,445	5,165	–	–
2026	211,390	143,095	68,320	25,605	42,705	2,255	1,290	3,160	5,205	4,300	5,245	1,255	745	18,350	5,905	15,120	5,440	–	–

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