City · Limburg

Kerkrade: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Kerkrade had 40,110 residents. 35.7% of them (14,310 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is about the same as the municipality of Kerkrade (35.1%) and higher than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (14.4%), other Europe (6.6%) and other Asia (4.2%). 59.3% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.5 percentage points.

Residents: 40,110 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 35.7% 14,310 people
Born abroad: 59.3% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.5 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

64% 36%

Dutch origin 64.3% 25,800
Migration background 35.7% 14,310

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

14.4% 5,785 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 14.2% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

6.6% 2,635 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 6.4% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

4.2% 1,675 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Poland

1.8% 705 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.8% Netherlands 1.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.7% 670 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.6% Netherlands 1.1%
Indonesia

1.4% 555 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.4% 545 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.3% Netherlands 2.3%
Belgium

1.3% 515 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.2% Netherlands 0.76%
Morocco

1.0% 420 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 1.0% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.90% 360 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 0.89% Netherlands 1.7%
Turkey

0.82% 330 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 0.82% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.27% 110 people

Municipality of Kerkrade 0.27% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

59% 41%

Born abroad (first generation) 59.3% 8,490
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 40.7% 5,820

Men and women

Men: 20,080
Women: 20,025

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Kerkrade 35.7%

Higher than 97% 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

35.7%

Kerkrade
Municipality of Kerkrade
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Kerkrade	Municipality of Kerkrade	Netherlands
1998	35.7%	35.8%	16.7%
1999	35.8%	35.8%	17.1%
2000	35.6%	35.5%	17.5%
2001	35.1%	35.0%	18.0%
2002	34.7%	34.6%	18.4%
2003	34.2%	34.1%	18.8%
2004	33.8%	33.6%	19.0%
2005	33.4%	33.2%	19.2%
2006	32.9%	32.8%	19.3%
2007	32.5%	32.3%	19.4%
2008	32.4%	32.2%	19.6%
2009	32.3%	32.0%	19.9%
2010	32.1%	31.8%	20.3%
2011	32.0%	31.7%	20.6%
2012	31.7%	31.5%	20.9%
2013	31.6%	31.4%	21.1%
2014	31.7%	31.4%	21.4%
2015	31.6%	31.2%	21.7%
2016	31.5%	31.1%	22.1%
2017	31.8%	31.4%	22.6%
2018	31.8%	31.5%	23.1%
2019	32.0%	31.7%	23.6%
2020	32.4%	32.1%	24.2%
2021	32.5%	32.2%	24.6%
2022	33.1%	32.8%	26.0%
2023	33.9%	33.5%	27.1%
2024	34.2%	33.7%	27.9%
2025	35.1%	34.5%	28.5%
2026	35.7%	35.1%	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 Kerkrade

				Largest group
6461 Oost	32.6%	8,160	+1.5 pp	Germany
6466 West	37.6%	8,160	+5.4 pp	Germany
6462 Oost	45.6%	7,090	+1.5 pp	Germany
6467 West	25.0%	4,785	+1.0 pp	Germany
6463 Oost, Noord	35.3%	4,695	+2.6 pp	Germany
6464 Noord	33.1%	4,285	+2.1 pp	Germany
6465 West	38.7%	2,040	+1.9 pp	Germany
6469 Noord	37.6%	625	+3.4 pp	Germany
6468 West	20.4%	270	+1.1 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	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	45,695	29,385	16,315	14,330	1,985	135	250	40	730	170	12,325	325	645	1,035	180	360	125	15,130	1,175
1999	45,275	29,090	16,190	14,155	2,070	140	255	40	705	165	12,045	340	630	1,140	200	435	135	14,925	1,270
2000	44,975	28,975	16,005	13,870	2,125	155	285	40	710	160	11,765	335	620	1,150	230	435	110	14,665	1,330
2001	44,695	29,020	15,685	13,495	2,190	165	315	35	700	160	11,385	325	615	1,170	220	455	140	14,310	1,385
2002	44,385	28,990	15,400	13,100	2,310	185	315	40	735	175	11,015	310	595	1,180	250	465	145	13,930	1,470
2003	44,045	28,955	15,085	12,715	2,370	195	335	40	735	200	10,650	290	565	1,210	275	455	135	13,565	1,530
2004	43,895	29,065	14,825	12,420	2,400	195	360	25	725	190	10,320	295	575	1,230	285	480	140	13,265	1,555
2005	43,450	28,945	14,510	12,130	2,375	200	330	35	710	190	9,990	285	555	1,300	295	470	150	12,955	1,555
2006	43,240	28,985	14,245	11,870	2,365	195	360	35	705	185	9,730	305	540	1,295	250	495	140	12,660	1,590
2007	42,750	28,865	13,905	11,510	2,390	215	355	35	700	185	9,425	305	535	1,245	275	485	145	12,310	1,575
2008	42,450	28,690	13,760	11,285	2,470	225	360	35	690	195	9,135	325	520	1,305	275	540	150	12,065	1,690
2009	42,335	28,670	13,665	11,105	2,565	230	360	45	670	225	8,925	350	515	1,315	285	590	160	11,890	1,780
2010	42,040	28,515	13,510	10,910	2,580	245	350	45	670	255	8,675	355	505	1,375	270	615	135	11,685	1,850
2011	41,825	28,470	13,365	10,735	2,640	250	380	50	660	225	8,495	355	530	1,355	270	620	190	11,505	1,855
2012	41,535	28,360	13,185	10,510	2,665	255	365	55	630	260	8,220	375	505	1,410	290	640	175	11,260	1,920
2013	41,395	28,300	13,100	10,395	2,735	255	380	60	630	265	8,045	395	505	1,450	295	645	210	11,140	1,950
2014	40,975	27,995	12,980	10,225	2,755	250	390	60	630	290	7,870	430	490	1,435	305	650	190	10,970	2,010
2015	40,745	27,865	12,880	10,040	2,840	260	385	65	615	325	7,670	420	495	1,455	315	710	170	10,760	2,120
2016	40,250	27,585	12,665	9,775	2,890	260	385	60	605	355	7,435	425	480	1,435	320	755	155	10,490	2,180
2017	40,105	27,355	12,750	9,665	3,085	270	385	60	620	380	7,260	430	490	1,485	350	865	160	10,385	2,380
2018	39,965	27,265	12,700	9,470	3,225	275	415	55	600	405	7,075	430	485	1,480	360	950	170	10,180	2,525
2019	39,845	27,095	12,750	9,435	3,315	245	415	70	590	450	6,895	465	485	1,590	360	1,015	175	10,120	2,630
2020	39,930	26,990	12,940	9,435	3,510	260	430	65	600	505	6,750	515	485	1,685	400	1,060	190	10,135	2,810
2021	39,620	26,750	12,870	9,265	3,600	280	420	75	580	510	6,545	530	495	1,695	390	1,130	220	9,960	2,910
2022	39,555	26,450	13,105	9,200	3,895	295	415	80	580	550	6,405	550	520	1,710	440	1,275	270	9,860	3,045
2023	39,825	26,325	13,500	9,375	4,120	295	410	95	595	595	6,235	630	535	1,980	475	1,365	280	10,055	3,245
2024	39,590	26,025	13,550	9,340	4,210	310	420	95	560	630	6,105	635	530	2,065	475	1,425	310	–	–
2025	39,755	25,805	13,960	9,550	4,410	315	410	85	565	665	5,950	670	520	2,410	500	1,520	330	–	–
2026	40,110	25,800	14,310	9,650	4,665	330	420	110	555	670	5,785	705	515	2,635	545	1,675	360	–	–

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