City · Limburg

Vaals: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Vaals had 7,710 residents. 63.2% of them (4,875 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Vaals (55.5%) and higher than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (39.0%), other Europe (9.7%) and other Asia (5.0%). 79.8% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 1.5 percentage points.

Residents: 7,710 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 63.2% 4,875 people
Born abroad: 79.8% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +1.5 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

37% 63%

Dutch origin 36.8% 2,835
Migration background 63.2% 4,875

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

39.0% 3,005 people

Municipality of Vaals 33.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

9.7% 745 people

Municipality of Vaals 8.1% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.0% 385 people

Municipality of Vaals 4.9% Netherlands 5.3%
Belgium

2.5% 195 people

Municipality of Vaals 2.5% Netherlands 0.76%
Poland

1.8% 140 people

Municipality of Vaals 1.7% Netherlands 1.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.4% 105 people

Municipality of Vaals 1.2% Netherlands 1.7%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.1% 85 people

Municipality of Vaals 1.3% Netherlands 2.3%
Indonesia

0.78% 60 people

Municipality of Vaals 0.79% Netherlands 1.9%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.71% 55 people

Municipality of Vaals 0.64% Netherlands 1.1%
Turkey

0.65% 50 people

Municipality of Vaals 0.64% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.39% 30 people

Municipality of Vaals 0.30% Netherlands 2.4%
Suriname

0.19% 15 people

Municipality of Vaals 0.15% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

80% 20%

Born abroad (first generation) 79.8% 3,890
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 20.2% 985

Men and women

Men: 3,960
Women: 3,755

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Vaals 63.2%

Higher than 100% 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

63.2%

Vaals
Municipality of Vaals
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Vaals	Municipality of Vaals	Netherlands
1998	62.0%	53.1%	16.7%
1999	61.3%	52.7%	17.1%
2000	61.5%	52.8%	17.5%
2001	62.0%	53.3%	18.0%
2002	61.6%	52.9%	18.4%
2003	61.2%	52.4%	18.8%
2004	60.8%	52.0%	19.0%
2005	59.3%	50.9%	19.2%
2006	58.9%	50.4%	19.3%
2007	58.5%	50.2%	19.4%
2008	57.6%	49.2%	19.6%
2009	57.2%	49.0%	19.9%
2010	56.2%	48.4%	20.3%
2011	55.8%	48.2%	20.6%
2012	55.3%	47.9%	20.9%
2013	56.0%	48.4%	21.1%
2014	55.6%	48.2%	21.4%
2015	56.3%	48.7%	21.7%
2016	56.3%	48.7%	22.1%
2017	57.3%	49.7%	22.6%
2018	58.2%	50.7%	23.1%
2019	59.7%	51.8%	23.6%
2020	59.8%	52.2%	24.2%
2021	60.2%	52.5%	24.6%
2022	61.7%	53.7%	26.0%
2023	62.7%	54.7%	27.1%
2024	62.6%	54.5%	27.9%
2025	62.8%	54.7%	28.5%
2026	63.2%	55.5%	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 Vaals

				Largest group
6291 Vaals	63.2%	7,710	+1.5 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	8,195	3,120	5,080	4,820	260	15	15	5	70	0	4,185	50	350	235	50	80	25	4,900	185
1999	8,305	3,210	5,090	4,800	295	20	10	10	70	0	4,135	65	355	245	65	90	30	4,890	200
2000	8,150	3,135	5,015	4,670	335	20	15	10	65	0	4,005	65	335	265	70	125	30	4,755	255
2001	8,205	3,115	5,090	4,665	425	25	10	5	70	5	3,915	65	335	350	100	175	35	4,755	335
2002	8,115	3,115	4,995	4,585	420	20	10	5	65	5	3,825	50	335	375	100	175	40	4,665	330
2003	8,045	3,115	4,925	4,505	430	30	10	5	70	5	3,755	50	320	380	90	180	40	4,590	335
2004	7,870	3,085	4,785	4,355	435	30	15	15	75	5	3,655	55	305	340	80	175	40	4,435	350
2005	7,715	3,135	4,575	4,190	390	30	20	5	70	0	3,525	55	295	315	50	175	40	4,275	300
2006	7,575	3,115	4,460	4,075	385	40	15	10	75	5	3,410	50	285	330	50	165	25	4,155	300
2007	7,490	3,105	4,385	3,985	400	40	15	10	70	5	3,310	60	280	335	45	180	35	4,075	310
2008	7,390	3,130	4,255	3,875	385	30	20	10	65	5	3,205	65	280	325	45	180	30	3,960	300
2009	7,425	3,180	4,245	3,835	405	30	20	10	75	5	3,150	75	275	335	50	190	25	3,920	320
2010	7,505	3,290	4,215	3,795	410	30	20	15	65	10	3,095	70	270	360	50	200	20	3,880	340
2011	7,465	3,300	4,165	3,735	425	35	20	10	60	5	3,020	85	260	370	50	210	35	3,815	350
2012	7,420	3,310	4,105	3,680	430	35	15	10	65	10	2,955	100	255	370	50	200	45	3,765	340
2013	7,470	3,280	4,185	3,730	465	35	15	10	60	5	2,980	105	260	385	65	220	55	3,805	380
2014	7,390	3,280	4,110	3,660	455	35	10	15	60	10	2,930	105	250	375	70	215	40	3,740	375
2015	7,340	3,210	4,130	3,675	455	35	15	10	60	15	2,925	110	250	390	60	215	45	3,755	375
2016	7,300	3,190	4,110	3,620	495	35	15	10	65	20	2,895	105	230	390	60	245	45	3,700	410
2017	7,405	3,160	4,245	3,720	520	35	15	5	60	20	2,945	130	240	405	60	265	60	3,805	435
2018	7,580	3,165	4,415	3,875	540	35	20	5	65	30	3,085	130	235	425	55	270	60	3,970	445
2019	7,790	3,140	4,650	4,090	555	35	20	5	65	30	3,245	135	230	480	55	280	65	4,185	465
2020	7,835	3,150	4,685	4,095	590	35	20	10	65	30	3,245	125	215	510	60	300	70	4,185	500
2021	7,815	3,110	4,705	4,105	600	35	20	10	70	35	3,220	125	210	550	65	285	80	4,195	505
2022	7,830	3,005	4,830	4,130	700	40	25	5	65	45	3,225	130	220	555	70	355	95	4,205	565
2023	7,905	2,945	4,960	4,270	685	40	25	5	65	45	3,195	130	210	735	70	340	100	4,350	550
2024	7,830	2,925	4,905	4,195	710	40	25	5	70	45	3,115	135	205	740	85	340	95	–	–
2025	7,740	2,880	4,860	4,125	735	45	30	15	65	50	3,065	135	200	720	75	365	100	–	–
2026	7,710	2,835	4,875	4,085	790	50	30	15	60	55	3,005	140	195	745	85	385	105	–	–

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