City · Limburg

Meerssen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Meerssen had 7,410 residents. 19.8% of them (1,470 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Meerssen (16.2%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (4.9%), other Asia (3.9%) and Germany (2.6%). 60.2% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.1 percentage points.

Residents: 7,410 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 19.8% 1,470 people
Born abroad: 60.2% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.1 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

80% 20%

Dutch origin 80.2% 5,940
Migration background 19.8% 1,470

Largest origin groups

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

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

4.9% 360 people

Municipality of Meerssen 3.7% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

3.9% 290 people

Municipality of Meerssen 2.6% Netherlands 5.3%
Germany

2.6% 195 people

Municipality of Meerssen 2.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Belgium

2.5% 185 people

Municipality of Meerssen 2.5% Netherlands 0.76%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.7% 125 people

Municipality of Meerssen 1.1% Netherlands 2.3%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.4% 105 people

Municipality of Meerssen 1.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Indonesia

1.2% 90 people

Municipality of Meerssen 1.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Poland

0.54% 40 people

Municipality of Meerssen 0.46% Netherlands 1.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.40% 30 people

Municipality of Meerssen 0.24% Netherlands 1.1%
Morocco

0.34% 25 people

Municipality of Meerssen 0.24% Netherlands 2.4%
Turkey

0.27% 20 people

Municipality of Meerssen 0.16% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.13% 10 people

Municipality of Meerssen 0.08% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

60% 40%

Born abroad (first generation) 60.2% 885
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 40.1% 590

Men and women

Men: 3,605
Women: 3,810

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Meerssen 19.8%

Higher than 80% 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

19.8%

Meerssen
Municipality of Meerssen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Meerssen	Municipality of Meerssen	Netherlands
1998	11.4%	10.7%	16.7%
1999	11.5%	10.8%	17.1%
2000	11.4%	10.7%	17.5%
2001	11.4%	10.7%	18.0%
2002	11.8%	10.8%	18.4%
2003	12.1%	10.9%	18.8%
2004	12.3%	11.1%	19.0%
2005	12.3%	11.0%	19.2%
2006	12.4%	11.1%	19.3%
2007	12.3%	11.0%	19.4%
2008	12.6%	11.2%	19.6%
2009	12.8%	11.3%	19.9%
2010	12.8%	11.3%	20.3%
2011	13.1%	11.5%	20.6%
2012	13.4%	11.8%	20.9%
2013	13.3%	11.9%	21.1%
2014	13.3%	11.7%	21.4%
2015	13.4%	11.8%	21.7%
2016	14.1%	12.0%	22.1%
2017	14.5%	12.2%	22.6%
2018	14.8%	12.5%	23.1%
2019	15.0%	12.6%	23.6%
2020	15.4%	12.9%	24.2%
2021	15.7%	13.2%	24.6%
2022	16.7%	14.2%	26.0%
2023	17.9%	15.0%	27.1%
2024	19.2%	15.6%	27.9%
2025	19.5%	15.9%	28.5%
2026	19.8%	16.2%	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 Meerssen

				Largest group
6231 Meerssen	19.8%	7,410	+3.1 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	8,175	7,235	935	620	320	5	20	5	125	10	300	0	190	130	25	90	40	775	160
1999	8,075	7,140	930	595	340	5	15	0	125	10	290	5	170	130	30	115	40	750	180
2000	7,995	7,080	915	575	350	5	20	5	125	10	275	0	165	135	35	115	35	725	190
2001	7,920	7,015	905	565	340	10	20	5	125	10	260	0	160	145	30	115	25	715	195
2002	7,940	6,995	940	570	370	15	20	5	125	10	260	5	150	155	45	125	25	715	230
2003	7,840	6,895	945	570	375	15	15	5	120	10	255	5	145	165	50	135	25	710	235
2004	7,815	6,850	960	570	395	15	20	5	125	15	250	5	145	170	55	135	25	710	250
2005	7,750	6,795	950	555	395	15	15	5	120	10	240	5	150	160	65	140	25	695	260
2006	7,675	6,725	950	545	400	20	15	5	120	10	245	5	150	145	60	140	30	690	260
2007	7,680	6,735	945	555	385	20	15	5	115	15	245	5	150	155	55	135	25	695	250
2008	7,720	6,745	975	585	385	15	15	5	115	20	245	10	160	170	60	125	30	715	260
2009	7,710	6,715	990	600	395	15	15	5	110	20	240	10	165	185	65	120	45	725	260
2010	7,660	6,680	980	595	385	15	15	5	110	25	240	20	165	170	55	115	45	725	250
2011	7,650	6,660	1,000	600	400	25	20	5	110	25	240	25	150	185	65	110	40	735	260
2012	7,615	6,600	1,020	625	395	20	25	5	105	30	240	35	150	200	70	105	35	740	275
2013	7,615	6,605	1,015	610	405	20	25	5	100	30	230	20	150	210	75	110	40	725	285
2014	7,605	6,595	1,010	605	405	25	20	5	95	25	240	20	150	195	90	100	45	725	285
2015	7,510	6,500	1,010	585	425	30	20	0	100	20	230	25	145	185	105	100	50	710	300
2016	7,555	6,490	1,065	625	440	20	20	5	95	20	235	25	155	210	115	120	45	740	325
2017	7,595	6,490	1,105	645	460	20	20	5	95	25	240	30	155	220	115	135	45	770	335
2018	7,580	6,455	1,125	645	485	15	25	5	95	25	220	30	155	240	110	160	50	765	365
2019	7,525	6,395	1,130	645	490	15	20	5	90	30	220	20	160	245	115	165	50	760	375
2020	7,490	6,340	1,150	635	510	15	20	10	90	30	210	30	155	240	105	195	45	750	400
2021	7,450	6,280	1,170	660	510	15	25	5	85	30	215	35	160	250	90	195	65	775	395
2022	7,450	6,200	1,245	670	575	15	20	5	95	35	205	35	175	265	110	210	85	775	420
2023	7,485	6,140	1,340	725	610	15	20	5	90	35	200	30	165	330	125	230	85	835	450
2024	7,515	6,075	1,440	790	650	15	20	5	90	35	195	40	180	375	130	255	95	–	–
2025	7,455	6,005	1,450	775	675	20	20	10	90	35	190	35	180	365	130	275	100	–	–
2026	7,410	5,940	1,470	780	695	20	25	10	90	30	195	40	185	360	125	290	105	–	–

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