City · Sittard-Geleen, Limburg

Sittard: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Sittard had 37,680 residents. 28.8% of them (10,865 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Sittard-Geleen (26.0%) and about the same as the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (6.0%), Germany (5.5%) and other Asia (5.1%). 54.1% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.7 percentage points.

Residents: 37,680 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 28.8% 10,865 people
Born abroad: 54.1% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.7 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

71% 29%

Dutch origin 71.2% 26,820
Migration background 28.8% 10,865

Largest origin groups

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

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

6.0% 2,255 people

Sittard-Geleen 5.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Germany

5.5% 2,075 people

Sittard-Geleen 4.9% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.1% 1,915 people

Sittard-Geleen 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Indonesia

2.6% 995 people

Sittard-Geleen 2.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.1% 795 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Belgium

1.9% 725 people

Sittard-Geleen 2.0% Netherlands 0.76%
Morocco

1.7% 635 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.9% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.1% 415 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.94% Netherlands 1.7%
Poland

1.1% 405 people

Sittard-Geleen 1.1% Netherlands 1.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.86% 325 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.61% Netherlands 1.1%
Turkey

0.45% 170 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.69% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.41% 155 people

Sittard-Geleen 0.39% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

54% 46%

Born abroad (first generation) 54.1% 5,880
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 45.8% 4,975

Men and women

Men: 18,745
Women: 18,930

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Sittard 28.8%

Higher than 93% 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

28.8%

Sittard
Sittard-Geleen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Sittard	Sittard-Geleen	Netherlands
1998	23.8%	21.2%	16.7%
1999	24.0%	21.3%	17.1%
2000	24.0%	21.4%	17.5%
2001	24.0%	21.4%	18.0%
2002	23.9%	21.5%	18.4%
2003	24.0%	21.5%	18.8%
2004	24.0%	21.5%	19.0%
2005	23.8%	21.5%	19.2%
2006	23.7%	21.5%	19.3%
2007	23.5%	21.2%	19.4%
2008	23.5%	21.3%	19.6%
2009	23.6%	21.3%	19.9%
2010	23.4%	21.2%	20.3%
2011	23.4%	21.2%	20.6%
2012	23.5%	21.3%	20.9%
2013	23.4%	21.2%	21.1%
2014	23.3%	21.2%	21.4%
2015	23.4%	21.3%	21.7%
2016	23.5%	21.6%	22.1%
2017	23.7%	21.8%	22.6%
2018	23.9%	21.9%	23.1%
2019	24.2%	22.2%	23.6%
2020	24.3%	22.4%	24.2%
2021	24.3%	22.5%	24.6%
2022	25.1%	23.3%	26.0%
2023	26.4%	24.1%	27.1%
2024	27.6%	25.0%	27.9%
2025	28.1%	25.4%	28.5%
2026	28.8%	26.0%	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 Sittard

				Largest group
6137 Overhoven	30.3%	8,010	+1.7 pp	Germany
6136 Overhoven	25.8%	6,745	+1.5 pp	Other Europe
6135 Limbrichterveld	33.0%	6,085	+6.9 pp	Other Asia
6131 Centrum	33.0%	5,470	+9.1 pp	Other Europe
6132 Overhoven	24.7%	5,240	+2.5 pp	Germany
6133 Ophoven	21.9%	3,720	+1.7 pp	Germany
6134 Sanderbout, Ophoven	32.2%	2,410	+2.4 pp	Other Asia

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	38,300	29,175	9,130	5,770	3,355	50	620	150	1,430	145	3,555	260	790	1,165	340	495	125	7,300	1,830
1999	38,560	29,325	9,250	5,740	3,510	65	655	135	1,420	160	3,490	275	795	1,180	365	585	125	7,260	1,975
2000	38,860	29,555	9,310	5,700	3,610	55	650	145	1,410	175	3,425	270	790	1,215	430	595	150	7,200	2,115
2001	38,585	29,315	9,260	5,605	3,625	45	690	150	1,395	175	3,370	260	800	1,175	445	575	150	7,095	2,160
2002	38,655	29,400	9,245	5,490	3,755	65	735	145	1,375	190	3,270	270	770	1,180	455	635	155	6,965	2,270
2003	38,860	29,520	9,345	5,475	3,880	70	745	155	1,360	205	3,275	255	770	1,175	480	695	170	6,925	2,405
2004	38,870	29,550	9,320	5,425	3,895	95	750	150	1,355	195	3,215	260	760	1,190	490	690	170	6,870	2,460
2005	38,670	29,485	9,210	5,320	3,890	90	755	150	1,335	190	3,125	260	745	1,190	470	735	165	6,745	2,450
2006	38,680	29,520	9,160	5,310	3,840	95	755	135	1,350	180	3,080	255	760	1,215	430	700	200	6,760	2,395
2007	38,520	29,480	9,035	5,255	3,765	80	760	145	1,355	170	3,010	250	750	1,245	415	675	170	6,700	2,340
2008	38,265	29,265	8,995	5,230	3,770	100	755	140	1,315	165	2,955	260	730	1,285	410	705	180	6,660	2,345
2009	38,045	29,045	8,980	5,215	3,775	105	745	150	1,295	170	2,910	265	735	1,305	420	715	175	6,605	2,360
2010	37,865	29,010	8,850	5,125	3,715	110	720	160	1,275	160	2,850	255	715	1,305	415	710	165	6,515	2,350
2011	37,725	28,920	8,815	5,090	3,725	115	715	145	1,250	155	2,810	260	715	1,305	410	740	195	6,465	2,340
2012	37,580	28,765	8,815	5,085	3,730	120	685	150	1,210	155	2,750	275	720	1,340	410	815	185	6,410	2,405
2013	37,455	28,680	8,775	5,050	3,730	135	680	150	1,190	165	2,740	280	690	1,340	430	810	170	6,355	2,420
2014	37,345	28,640	8,705	5,005	3,700	135	680	155	1,185	150	2,650	290	705	1,360	415	825	155	6,290	2,420
2015	37,540	28,755	8,785	4,980	3,805	135	685	155	1,165	160	2,610	300	705	1,365	445	890	170	6,255	2,535
2016	37,430	28,645	8,785	4,895	3,895	140	675	155	1,170	165	2,540	305	675	1,375	455	955	180	6,180	2,610
2017	37,525	28,640	8,885	4,925	3,965	115	650	155	1,150	180	2,480	315	685	1,445	495	1,030	190	6,175	2,715
2018	37,425	28,490	8,935	4,860	4,075	120	655	155	1,145	180	2,415	325	665	1,455	515	1,100	205	6,120	2,820
2019	37,370	28,335	9,035	4,900	4,140	120	670	160	1,125	190	2,390	325	670	1,515	530	1,120	225	6,135	2,905
2020	37,195	28,155	9,040	4,860	4,185	110	670	150	1,085	195	2,315	315	675	1,555	565	1,160	250	6,050	2,990
2021	36,930	27,970	8,960	4,830	4,130	105	650	145	1,045	200	2,260	320	670	1,580	590	1,145	250	5,985	2,965
2022	37,120	27,805	9,320	4,850	4,465	110	620	150	1,065	230	2,280	335	750	1,505	610	1,365	320	6,000	3,060
2023	37,530	27,600	9,925	5,115	4,810	125	625	160	1,055	260	2,215	365	755	1,785	675	1,560	360	6,270	3,385
2024	37,675	27,265	10,410	5,275	5,140	145	635	155	1,040	280	2,200	415	735	1,920	735	1,780	385	–	–
2025	37,710	27,100	10,610	5,430	5,185	155	635	145	1,010	305	2,140	405	735	2,155	725	1,795	405	–	–
2026	37,680	26,820	10,865	5,450	5,400	170	635	155	995	325	2,075	405	725	2,255	795	1,915	415	–	–

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