City · Friesland

Leeuwarden: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Leeuwarden had 99,345 residents. 26.4% of them (26,195 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Leeuwarden (22.5%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (6.2%), other Europe (5.6%) and other Africa (3.3%). 61.9% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.6 percentage points.

Residents: 99,345 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 26.4% 26,195 people
Born abroad: 61.9% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.6 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

74% 26%

Dutch origin 73.7% 73,170
Migration background 26.4% 26,195

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

6.2% 6,155 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 5.2% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

5.6% 5,530 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 4.8% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

3.3% 3,320 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 2.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Indonesia

1.9% 1,865 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 1.7% Netherlands 1.9%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.8% 1,830 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 1.5% Netherlands 1.1%
Germany

1.8% 1,785 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 1.7% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.7% 1,645 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 1.4% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

1.4% 1,415 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 1.2% Netherlands 2.0%
Morocco

1.1% 1,090 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 0.87% Netherlands 2.4%
Turkey

0.77% 765 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 0.65% Netherlands 2.6%
Poland

0.58% 575 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 0.49% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.22% 220 people

Municipality of Leeuwarden 0.20% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

62% 38%

Born abroad (first generation) 61.9% 16,205
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 38.0% 9,965

Men and women

Men: 49,480
Women: 49,855

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Leeuwarden 26.4%

Higher than 90% 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

26.4%

Leeuwarden
Municipality of Leeuwarden
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Leeuwarden	Municipality of Leeuwarden	Netherlands
1998	13.9%	11.7%	16.7%
1999	14.4%	12.1%	17.1%
2000	14.8%	12.4%	17.5%
2001	15.5%	12.9%	18.0%
2002	16.0%	13.3%	18.4%
2003	16.6%	13.8%	18.8%
2004	16.7%	13.8%	19.0%
2005	16.6%	13.8%	19.2%
2006	16.5%	13.8%	19.3%
2007	16.6%	13.9%	19.4%
2008	16.7%	14.0%	19.6%
2009	17.2%	14.3%	19.9%
2010	17.5%	14.6%	20.3%
2011	18.0%	15.0%	20.6%
2012	18.2%	15.2%	20.9%
2013	18.4%	15.4%	21.1%
2014	18.5%	15.4%	21.4%
2015	18.4%	15.4%	21.7%
2016	18.7%	15.7%	22.1%
2017	19.2%	16.2%	22.6%
2018	19.7%	16.6%	23.1%
2019	20.3%	17.1%	23.6%
2020	21.0%	17.7%	24.2%
2021	21.4%	18.0%	24.6%
2022	22.8%	19.3%	26.0%
2023	23.9%	20.3%	27.1%
2024	24.9%	21.1%	27.9%
2025	25.8%	22.0%	28.5%
2026	26.4%	22.5%	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 Leeuwarden

				Largest group
8921 Oud-Oost	28.0%	9,200	+3.3 pp	Other Europe
8911 Binnenstad	30.8%	7,105	+4.0 pp	Other Europe
8932 Huizum-West	20.6%	7,100	+1.9 pp	Other Asia
8935 Aldlân & De Hemrik	17.9%	6,670	+1.2 pp	Other Asia
8918 Bilgaard & Havankpark	47.5%	6,305	+3.6 pp	Other Asia
8939 Hempens/Teerns & Zuiderburen	14.3%	5,350	+0.6 pp	Other Asia
8925 Camminghaburen	13.8%	5,330	+1.0 pp	Other Asia
8915 Westeinde, Sonnenborgh	21.5%	5,270	+2.8 pp	Other Asia
8926 Camminghaburen	22.0%	5,200	+1.6 pp	Other Asia
8913 Vossepark & Helicon	20.0%	4,505	+7.2 pp	Other Europe
8941 De Zuidlanden	11.2%	4,170	+0.8 pp	Other Asia
8933 Potmargezone	27.2%	4,075	+3.8 pp	Other Europe
8931 Nijlân & De Zwette	24.4%	3,855	+3.7 pp	Other Asia
8917 Sonnenborgh	33.3%	3,680	+9.9 pp	Other Europe
8923 Vrijheidswijk	44.8%	3,650	+2.9 pp	Other Asia
8924 Heechterp & Schieringen	49.5%	3,645	+5.2 pp	Other Africa
8922 Oud-Oost	29.3%	3,315	+3.2 pp	Other Europe
8916 Sonnenborgh	17.9%	3,190	+1.1 pp	Other Europe
8934 Potmargezone	15.2%	2,040	+0.2 pp	Other Europe
8927 Dokkumer Ie	18.1%	1,300	+2.5 pp	Other Asia
8937 Potmargezone	50.5%	950	+7.4 pp	Other Asia
8912 Nijlân & De Zwette, Middelsee	50.3%	805	+29.5 pp	Other Europe
8919 Bilgaard & Havankpark, Westeinde	20.5%	805	+0.5 pp	Other Europe
8914 Nijlân & De Zwette, Vossepark & Helicon	39.5%	760	+31.3 pp	Other Asia
8936 Potmargezone	30.5%	705	+1.3 pp	Other Asia
8938 Aldlân & De Hemrik	75.3%	365	+62.3 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	83,865	72,205	11,645	3,390	8,265	370	820	1,245	2,270	480	1,630	115	115	1,530	905	1,735	445	5,890	5,755
1999	83,725	71,650	12,075	3,455	8,625	395	855	1,280	2,220	550	1,625	140	110	1,580	935	1,955	435	5,905	6,145
2000	83,655	71,285	12,390	3,525	8,880	410	890	1,290	2,220	645	1,615	135	115	1,660	1,000	1,980	450	5,980	6,410
2001	84,140	71,105	13,035	3,590	9,415	420	880	1,280	2,200	710	1,595	130	140	1,725	1,205	2,260	460	6,060	6,965
2002	85,040	71,415	13,610	3,705	9,910	405	890	1,295	2,265	790	1,595	140	145	1,825	1,295	2,475	500	6,215	7,430
2003	85,795	71,535	14,255	3,715	10,545	445	920	1,345	2,245	865	1,610	130	135	1,845	1,475	2,745	510	6,245	8,020
2004	85,895	71,580	14,305	3,660	10,605	435	950	1,310	2,210	850	1,590	135	155	1,780	1,410	2,930	515	6,145	8,155
2005	86,300	71,950	14,355	3,655	10,700	410	955	1,285	2,235	890	1,595	165	150	1,745	1,415	2,960	555	6,130	8,190
2006	86,385	72,085	14,280	3,750	10,490	410	950	1,280	2,190	850	1,655	165	135	1,795	1,315	2,955	545	6,245	8,025
2007	86,940	72,475	14,460	3,895	10,540	430	970	1,310	2,200	850	1,780	180	160	1,780	1,275	2,940	575	6,390	8,080
2008	87,470	72,855	14,650	4,150	10,515	445	940	1,325	2,175	840	1,900	200	140	1,910	1,305	2,920	575	6,605	8,040
2009	88,075	72,960	15,120	4,480	10,600	450	960	1,320	2,125	885	2,075	215	160	2,040	1,350	2,895	625	6,940	8,180
2010	88,660	73,115	15,530	4,675	10,830	470	965	1,345	2,115	930	2,190	215	150	2,120	1,395	2,960	650	7,145	8,355
2011	89,455	73,280	16,135	5,060	11,110	455	960	1,355	2,095	965	2,430	225	170	2,235	1,465	3,120	695	7,485	8,660
2012	89,950	73,520	16,405	5,220	11,200	470	975	1,370	2,110	1,015	2,515	230	165	2,315	1,505	3,075	685	7,640	8,760
2013	90,505	73,830	16,660	5,315	11,295	470	990	1,380	2,065	1,070	2,415	255	170	2,475	1,530	3,075	715	7,745	8,895
2014	90,780	74,030	16,750	5,240	11,505	470	990	1,385	2,065	1,110	2,290	260	160	2,530	1,605	3,100	780	7,670	9,065
2015	91,105	74,375	16,730	5,170	11,560	475	1,000	1,360	2,045	1,130	2,085	265	160	2,660	1,605	3,135	810	7,595	9,135
2016	91,300	74,220	17,080	5,255	11,825	490	1,000	1,395	2,010	1,165	2,085	270	150	2,750	1,670	3,270	825	7,650	9,430
2017	91,990	74,290	17,700	5,290	12,410	505	1,020	1,405	2,010	1,235	2,045	270	170	2,805	1,870	3,510	860	7,695	10,005
2018	92,015	73,855	18,160	5,410	12,755	505	1,045	1,405	1,985	1,320	1,990	305	185	2,930	1,975	3,625	895	7,795	10,365
2019	92,775	73,980	18,795	5,590	13,200	505	1,060	1,415	1,950	1,410	1,960	335	185	3,110	2,115	3,835	915	7,950	10,840
2020	93,495	73,815	19,680	6,020	13,665	510	1,045	1,405	1,950	1,460	2,020	365	195	3,440	2,225	4,080	990	8,375	11,300
2021	93,775	73,730	20,045	6,055	13,990	505	1,085	1,395	1,920	1,510	2,005	370	185	3,495	2,350	4,195	1,030	8,390	11,655
2022	94,665	73,060	21,600	6,340	15,265	540	1,080	1,390	1,985	1,655	2,090	425	215	3,645	2,550	4,735	1,310	8,665	12,145
2023	95,890	72,975	22,940	6,925	16,000	620	1,085	1,380	1,945	1,750	1,990	470	195	4,255	2,695	5,140	1,385	9,260	12,845
2024	97,850	73,440	24,390	7,540	16,860	700	1,105	1,390	1,920	1,800	1,900	525	210	4,920	2,915	5,550	1,485	–	–
2025	99,030	73,480	25,535	7,895	17,635	755	1,090	1,405	1,885	1,860	1,830	555	225	5,295	3,100	5,975	1,560	–	–
2026	99,345	73,170	26,195	8,090	18,090	765	1,090	1,415	1,865	1,830	1,785	575	220	5,530	3,320	6,155	1,645	–	–

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