City · Zeeland

Middelburg: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Middelburg had 43,905 residents. 26.5% of them (11,625 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Middelburg (24.1%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (5.6%), other Asia (5.1%) and Indonesia (2.9%). 58.3% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.3 percentage points.

Residents: 43,905 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 26.5% 11,625 people
Born abroad: 58.3% 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

74% 26%

Dutch origin 73.5% 32,280
Migration background 26.5% 11,625

Largest origin groups

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

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

5.6% 2,450 people

Municipality of Middelburg 5.2% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.1% 2,250 people

Municipality of Middelburg 4.6% Netherlands 5.3%
Indonesia

2.9% 1,285 people

Municipality of Middelburg 2.7% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.4% 1,050 people

Municipality of Middelburg 2.2% Netherlands 2.3%
Turkey

2.3% 1,000 people

Municipality of Middelburg 2.0% Netherlands 2.6%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.7% 765 people

Municipality of Middelburg 1.6% Netherlands 1.7%
Germany

1.6% 705 people

Municipality of Middelburg 1.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Belgium

1.4% 635 people

Municipality of Middelburg 1.4% Netherlands 0.76%
Suriname

1.1% 495 people

Municipality of Middelburg 1.0% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.85% 375 people

Municipality of Middelburg 0.78% Netherlands 1.1%
Poland

0.69% 305 people

Municipality of Middelburg 0.65% Netherlands 1.4%
Morocco

0.68% 300 people

Municipality of Middelburg 0.61% Netherlands 2.4%

First and second generation

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

58% 42%

Born abroad (first generation) 58.3% 6,780
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 41.7% 4,845

Men and women

Men: 21,355
Women: 22,550

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Middelburg 26.5%

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

26.5%

Middelburg
Municipality of Middelburg
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Middelburg	Municipality of Middelburg	Netherlands
1998	15.2%	13.7%	16.7%
1999	15.6%	14.0%	17.1%
2000	15.9%	14.3%	17.5%
2001	16.7%	15.0%	18.0%
2002	17.0%	15.3%	18.4%
2003	17.3%	15.6%	18.8%
2004	17.5%	15.8%	19.0%
2005	17.9%	16.1%	19.2%
2006	17.9%	16.2%	19.3%
2007	18.2%	16.4%	19.4%
2008	18.2%	16.3%	19.6%
2009	18.3%	16.5%	19.9%
2010	18.9%	17.0%	20.3%
2011	19.0%	17.2%	20.6%
2012	18.6%	16.8%	20.9%
2013	18.3%	16.6%	21.1%
2014	18.5%	16.8%	21.4%
2015	18.9%	17.0%	21.7%
2016	19.6%	17.7%	22.1%
2017	20.0%	18.0%	22.6%
2018	20.4%	18.4%	23.1%
2019	20.8%	18.8%	23.6%
2020	21.4%	19.4%	24.2%
2021	21.7%	19.7%	24.6%
2022	23.2%	21.0%	26.0%
2023	24.7%	22.5%	27.1%
2024	25.5%	23.3%	27.9%
2025	26.0%	23.7%	28.5%
2026	26.5%	24.1%	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 Middelburg

				Largest group
4337 Mortiere, Dauwendaele	36.4%	9,795	+5.1 pp	Other Asia
4335 Stromenwijk/'t Zand	31.7%	7,960	+4.5 pp	Other Asia
4336 Zuid	24.7%	7,055	+1.6 pp	Other Asia
4331 Binnenstad	28.6%	6,420	+3.8 pp	Other Europe
4333 Klarenbeek, Sint Laurens	13.1%	5,245	+1.0 pp	Other Europe
4332 Veersepoort, Nieuw Middelburg	17.8%	4,220	+0.9 pp	Other Europe
4334 Griffioen	14.4%	3,080	+1.1 pp	Other Europe
4338 Arnestein	57.7%	130	+43.4 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	37,880	32,110	5,775	1,830	3,940	685	210	395	1,525	160	580	45	430	775	285	500	180	3,450	2,320
1999	37,870	31,970	5,910	1,840	4,090	685	215	395	1,510	160	575	55	425	785	315	585	225	3,450	2,450
2000	38,380	32,295	6,085	1,895	4,175	685	225	415	1,520	180	585	50	425	835	335	625	190	3,500	2,590
2001	38,910	32,425	6,480	2,050	4,435	725	215	420	1,515	165	585	45	435	985	445	745	205	3,670	2,830
2002	39,055	32,425	6,635	2,095	4,540	765	225	430	1,520	170	560	45	440	1,050	475	750	205	3,720	2,910
2003	39,565	32,720	6,835	2,140	4,705	790	225	445	1,545	175	580	45	435	1,080	565	725	240	3,805	3,030
2004	39,630	32,665	6,955	2,165	4,805	810	215	445	1,535	160	590	50	425	1,100	655	750	240	3,810	3,135
2005	39,745	32,635	7,105	2,230	4,855	825	220	470	1,510	190	595	60	420	1,155	665	750	225	3,865	3,215
2006	40,135	32,945	7,200	2,295	4,875	810	235	475	1,495	205	610	65	425	1,195	640	780	240	3,915	3,265
2007	40,495	33,130	7,375	2,390	4,980	820	220	485	1,485	235	645	85	430	1,230	615	835	285	4,010	3,350
2008	40,610	33,235	7,380	2,385	4,980	830	235	490	1,470	215	630	90	435	1,230	600	855	285	4,010	3,365
2009	40,860	33,375	7,480	2,405	5,070	850	230	490	1,470	220	675	120	440	1,170	585	930	295	4,020	3,475
2010	41,290	33,505	7,790	2,495	5,270	875	240	480	1,450	245	705	120	460	1,210	750	905	325	4,120	3,670
2011	41,270	33,415	7,860	2,535	5,300	880	265	475	1,460	245	705	110	475	1,245	715	925	340	4,135	3,710
2012	41,070	33,415	7,635	2,570	5,075	860	250	495	1,420	265	685	125	475	1,285	570	850	365	4,150	3,520
2013	40,795	33,330	7,475	2,555	4,925	875	255	495	1,430	250	685	120	495	1,260	485	755	380	4,155	3,315
2014	40,930	33,345	7,585	2,605	4,980	865	250	490	1,420	280	665	120	475	1,345	510	800	370	4,200	3,385
2015	40,925	33,200	7,725	2,660	5,060	870	260	510	1,410	270	680	130	475	1,375	530	820	390	4,270	3,450
2016	41,190	33,125	8,065	2,735	5,325	875	270	510	1,400	295	690	150	490	1,405	600	955	420	4,345	3,725
2017	41,350	33,075	8,275	2,800	5,475	885	260	490	1,395	285	695	160	510	1,435	590	1,165	405	4,385	3,895
2018	41,650	33,145	8,505	2,885	5,615	905	255	490	1,360	290	680	170	530	1,505	650	1,220	450	4,455	4,035
2019	41,875	33,165	8,710	2,985	5,720	895	255	490	1,350	305	675	180	535	1,595	705	1,250	470	4,540	4,170
2020	42,080	33,090	8,990	3,055	5,940	920	265	475	1,340	340	685	205	545	1,625	790	1,290	520	4,625	4,375
2021	42,225	33,080	9,145	3,170	5,975	920	265	455	1,340	345	690	220	530	1,735	795	1,315	540	4,735	4,410
2022	42,480	32,645	9,835	3,335	6,495	940	265	495	1,365	350	720	235	620	1,765	875	1,580	630	4,865	4,585
2023	43,155	32,490	10,665	3,810	6,835	990	265	470	1,330	375	730	270	635	2,170	945	1,750	715	5,340	4,935
2024	43,290	32,250	11,050	3,935	7,120	985	295	485	1,310	385	735	305	635	2,250	960	1,955	740	–	–
2025	43,520	32,200	11,315	4,040	7,270	990	305	500	1,300	375	730	310	625	2,380	990	2,065	760	–	–
2026	43,905	32,280	11,625	4,105	7,525	1,000	300	495	1,285	375	705	305	635	2,450	1,050	2,250	765	–	–

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