City · Friesland

Heerenveen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Heerenveen had 32,130 residents. 20.6% of them (6,630 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Heerenveen (15.7%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (4.7%), other Europe (4.0%) and other Africa (2.5%). 57.6% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.6 percentage points.

Residents: 32,130 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 20.6% 6,630 people
Born abroad: 57.6% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.6 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 79.4% 25,500
Migration background 20.6% 6,630

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

4.7% 1,505 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 3.5% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

4.0% 1,280 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 3.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.5% 795 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 1.7% Netherlands 2.3%
Turkey

1.8% 565 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 1.1% Netherlands 2.6%
Germany

1.4% 460 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 1.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.4% 440 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 1.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Indonesia

1.4% 435 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 1.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Morocco

1.0% 335 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 0.69% Netherlands 2.4%
Suriname

0.92% 295 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 0.64% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.84% 270 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 0.59% Netherlands 1.1%
Poland

0.51% 165 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 0.40% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.22% 70 people

Municipality of Heerenveen 0.20% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

58% 42%

Born abroad (first generation) 57.6% 3,820
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 42.5% 2,815

Men and women

Men: 15,965
Women: 16,165

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Heerenveen 20.6%

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

20.6%

Heerenveen
Municipality of Heerenveen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Heerenveen	Municipality of Heerenveen	Netherlands
1998	11.8%	8.8%	16.7%
1999	12.1%	9.0%	17.1%
2000	12.4%	9.1%	17.5%
2001	13.5%	9.8%	18.0%
2002	14.1%	10.3%	18.4%
2003	14.4%	10.4%	18.8%
2004	15.0%	10.7%	19.0%
2005	13.8%	10.2%	19.2%
2006	13.3%	9.9%	19.3%
2007	13.4%	9.9%	19.4%
2008	13.8%	10.2%	19.6%
2009	13.9%	10.3%	19.9%
2010	14.1%	10.5%	20.3%
2011	14.1%	10.5%	20.6%
2012	14.3%	10.7%	20.9%
2013	14.3%	10.7%	21.1%
2014	14.4%	10.7%	21.4%
2015	14.6%	10.9%	21.7%
2016	14.9%	11.1%	22.1%
2017	15.3%	11.4%	22.6%
2018	15.7%	11.6%	23.1%
2019	16.2%	12.0%	23.6%
2020	16.7%	12.3%	24.2%
2021	16.8%	12.4%	24.6%
2022	18.0%	13.5%	26.0%
2023	19.0%	14.4%	27.1%
2024	19.8%	14.8%	27.9%
2025	20.2%	15.2%	28.5%
2026	20.6%	15.7%	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 Heerenveen

				Largest group
8446 De Greiden	24.5%	7,320	+0.9 pp	Other Asia
8448 Skoatterwald	15.0%	6,130	+2.1 pp	Other Asia
8442 Centrum, Midden	26.6%	5,955	+3.0 pp	Other Asia
8441 Noord, Centrum	19.9%	4,870	+7.3 pp	Other Europe
8447 Haskerveen, Nijehaske	18.8%	3,195	+2.7 pp	Other Asia
8443 Oranjewoud	20.5%	2,880	+1.7 pp	Other Asia
8445 De Heide, Nieuweschoot	9.1%	1,435	−0.8 pp	Other Europe
8444 Jubbega	13.0%	345	+5.5 pp	Other Europe

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	27,975	24,665	3,305	1,000	2,310	370	290	215	480	55	470	40	30	460	270	495	135	1,540	1,760
1999	28,305	24,880	3,430	1,025	2,390	395	300	240	475	65	490	25	25	485	270	515	130	1,580	1,850
2000	28,060	24,560	3,480	1,115	2,375	395	290	250	475	75	495	35	25	560	275	490	125	1,660	1,810
2001	28,655	24,775	3,880	1,245	2,655	425	295	250	485	70	490	30	25	700	360	620	150	1,810	2,065
2002	29,095	25,015	4,090	1,295	2,805	420	305	270	495	100	485	30	20	760	430	635	150	1,855	2,220
2003	29,365	25,140	4,215	1,320	2,890	445	300	260	485	85	480	55	35	750	485	675	155	1,900	2,310
2004	28,395	24,155	4,250	1,290	2,955	460	300	260	450	85	450	50	30	760	495	735	170	1,845	2,405
2005	28,490	24,540	3,940	1,230	2,695	480	285	260	445	105	470	60	35	665	365	595	165	1,780	2,155
2006	28,465	24,675	3,790	1,210	2,590	470	285	275	435	120	480	45	35	650	270	570	165	1,770	2,025
2007	28,495	24,660	3,825	1,210	2,585	480	275	275	455	135	475	55	40	640	265	545	160	1,790	2,050
2008	28,735	24,760	3,970	1,260	2,725	495	290	270	460	125	485	75	35	665	275	575	235	1,830	2,140
2009	29,030	24,970	4,045	1,335	2,725	490	280	270	460	125	495	80	60	700	315	575	215	1,885	2,165
2010	29,195	25,095	4,120	1,345	2,745	500	285	290	445	140	505	70	35	735	310	580	195	1,920	2,195
2011	29,355	25,195	4,145	1,370	2,795	500	285	280	430	135	485	90	40	755	320	630	215	1,915	2,220
2012	29,415	25,200	4,200	1,365	2,835	510	290	265	440	145	490	100	45	730	330	635	225	1,945	2,250
2013	29,360	25,190	4,195	1,365	2,815	510	270	270	435	140	475	90	40	760	360	610	220	1,925	2,255
2014	29,455	25,205	4,250	1,375	2,870	520	285	270	440	150	470	105	40	760	360	615	230	1,950	2,300
2015	29,655	25,315	4,340	1,395	2,950	530	285	270	445	150	470	100	35	790	380	650	245	1,970	2,375
2016	29,800	25,365	4,435	1,430	3,010	525	280	260	425	145	460	95	45	830	380	745	250	1,990	2,445
2017	29,770	25,215	4,555	1,435	3,125	510	290	260	430	135	440	110	45	840	405	845	250	2,000	2,565
2018	29,810	25,130	4,680	1,445	3,225	520	280	270	415	135	445	95	45	860	450	880	275	2,005	2,670
2019	29,895	25,055	4,840	1,445	3,395	525	280	280	415	160	425	95	50	875	475	980	280	2,000	2,845
2020	30,185	25,155	5,030	1,485	3,545	525	305	280	400	195	440	110	55	880	515	1,040	285	2,035	3,000
2021	30,475	25,365	5,110	1,495	3,615	525	310	275	400	200	435	125	50	885	540	1,075	290	2,040	3,065
2022	30,905	25,340	5,565	1,560	4,005	540	290	275	450	225	485	145	60	890	610	1,235	370	2,130	3,185
2023	31,365	25,400	5,975	1,795	4,180	555	310	285	460	240	470	135	75	1,120	665	1,300	380	2,375	3,345
2024	31,765	25,490	6,275	1,950	4,320	540	325	290	465	245	485	160	70	1,245	695	1,380	385	–	–
2025	32,005	25,565	6,450	1,950	4,490	550	335	285	450	270	475	140	65	1,270	740	1,445	420	–	–
2026	32,130	25,500	6,630	1,980	4,665	565	335	295	435	270	460	165	70	1,280	795	1,505	440	–	–

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