City · Groningen

Veendam: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Veendam had 21,835 residents. 17.5% of them (3,820 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Veendam (16.0%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Turkey (4.0%), other Asia (3.3%) and other Europe (2.1%). 54.6% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 1.9 percentage points.

Residents: 21,835 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 17.5% 3,820 people
Born abroad: 54.6% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +1.9 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

83% 17%

Dutch origin 82.5% 18,015
Migration background 17.5% 3,820

Largest origin groups

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

Turkey

4.0% 870 people

Municipality of Veendam 3.2% Netherlands 2.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

3.3% 720 people

Municipality of Veendam 3.0% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

2.1% 465 people

Municipality of Veendam 2.4% Netherlands 5.6%
Germany

1.7% 380 people

Municipality of Veendam 1.7% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.4% 315 people

Municipality of Veendam 1.2% Netherlands 2.3%
Indonesia

1.1% 235 people

Municipality of Veendam 1.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.0% 220 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.93% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

1.0% 210 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.90% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.85% 185 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.72% Netherlands 1.1%
Poland

0.53% 115 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.47% Netherlands 1.4%
Morocco

0.23% 50 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.22% Netherlands 2.4%
Belgium

0.23% 50 people

Municipality of Veendam 0.22% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

55% 45%

Born abroad (first generation) 54.6% 2,085
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 45.2% 1,725

Men and women

Men: 10,860
Women: 10,965

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Veendam 17.5%

Higher than 74% 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

17.5%

Veendam
Municipality of Veendam
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Veendam	Municipality of Veendam	Netherlands
1998	11.3%	10.1%	16.7%
1999	11.5%	10.3%	17.1%
2000	11.5%	10.3%	17.5%
2001	11.8%	10.6%	18.0%
2002	11.8%	10.6%	18.4%
2003	12.3%	11.0%	18.8%
2004	12.1%	10.8%	19.0%
2005	12.0%	10.8%	19.2%
2006	12.1%	10.9%	19.3%
2007	12.0%	10.8%	19.4%
2008	12.4%	11.2%	19.6%
2009	12.5%	11.2%	19.9%
2010	12.8%	11.3%	20.3%
2011	12.9%	11.5%	20.6%
2012	13.0%	11.6%	20.9%
2013	13.1%	11.7%	21.1%
2014	13.0%	11.7%	21.4%
2015	13.2%	12.0%	21.7%
2016	13.5%	12.1%	22.1%
2017	13.7%	12.3%	22.6%
2018	14.2%	12.8%	23.1%
2019	14.4%	12.9%	23.6%
2020	14.6%	13.1%	24.2%
2021	14.9%	13.4%	24.6%
2022	15.6%	14.1%	26.0%
2023	15.9%	14.6%	27.1%
2024	16.3%	15.0%	27.9%
2025	17.0%	15.5%	28.5%
2026	17.5%	16.0%	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 Veendam

				Largest group
9642 Sorghvliet	17.8%	7,690	+1.5 pp	Turkey
9641 Centrum, Industriegebied	18.9%	5,940	+3.1 pp	Other Asia
9645 Oude Ae, Middenweg en omgeving	22.4%	3,995	+1.9 pp	Turkey
9646 Buitenwoel, Centrum	11.0%	2,635	+0.8 pp	Other Asia
9644 Ommelanderwijk	8.9%	1,575	+1.2 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	22,835	20,265	2,570	670	1,895	875	15	285	305	40	430	25	35	180	100	230	45	1,005	1,560
1999	22,550	19,950	2,595	685	1,920	885	5	295	300	45	430	30	30	195	95	250	50	1,020	1,580
2000	22,460	19,865	2,590	670	1,930	895	0	280	290	40	400	25	30	215	105	245	75	995	1,595
2001	22,515	19,845	2,665	715	1,940	910	0	280	285	55	425	30	20	240	100	245	65	1,045	1,625
2002	22,360	19,725	2,635	710	1,920	935	5	270	265	45	425	25	20	240	105	225	70	1,035	1,605
2003	22,400	19,645	2,765	775	2,000	930	0	280	260	50	435	30	35	275	150	240	90	1,065	1,690
2004	22,190	19,510	2,675	735	1,940	960	0	260	245	55	430	40	30	235	120	220	80	1,030	1,655
2005	22,190	19,510	2,670	760	1,920	965	0	245	245	55	435	40	25	260	105	205	100	1,050	1,620
2006	22,240	19,545	2,685	785	1,900	930	10	250	255	55	455	50	20	260	100	205	95	1,095	1,605
2007	22,135	19,470	2,665	760	1,915	945	5	255	255	45	430	45	25	260	95	195	120	1,070	1,590
2008	22,090	19,355	2,750	810	1,940	945	5	255	260	55	445	50	20	295	100	215	105	1,095	1,640
2009	21,945	19,205	2,745	790	1,940	960	15	245	250	50	440	50	30	270	90	210	120	1,105	1,635
2010	21,875	19,090	2,790	840	1,945	935	15	255	250	60	445	55	20	320	95	230	105	1,135	1,645
2011	21,855	19,055	2,815	830	1,965	955	15	260	245	60	435	70	30	295	100	225	105	1,135	1,675
2012	21,815	18,965	2,840	850	1,985	930	25	260	245	60	420	75	25	330	115	225	125	1,140	1,705
2013	21,840	18,980	2,860	865	1,995	930	30	255	240	80	430	75	35	325	100	220	140	1,145	1,715
2014	21,735	18,910	2,825	870	1,955	895	30	245	235	75	415	85	25	345	110	235	130	1,145	1,690
2015	21,695	18,825	2,870	885	1,985	895	30	235	240	80	420	85	25	355	120	255	135	1,175	1,700
2016	21,485	18,595	2,890	900	1,985	865	30	245	235	80	410	80	30	380	150	270	110	1,175	1,715
2017	21,585	18,635	2,950	900	2,050	865	45	235	230	85	410	90	25	375	185	290	115	1,175	1,780
2018	21,575	18,510	3,065	925	2,140	880	45	245	235	85	415	90	35	385	205	335	110	1,205	1,865
2019	21,545	18,445	3,100	935	2,160	835	50	240	235	100	410	85	40	400	220	360	120	1,215	1,885
2020	21,520	18,375	3,145	925	2,220	835	40	240	235	135	390	90	35	410	240	355	140	1,215	1,935
2021	21,495	18,285	3,210	950	2,255	815	45	240	240	150	400	80	35	435	245	375	145	1,230	1,970
2022	21,510	18,155	3,360	960	2,415	830	45	225	250	155	395	85	45	420	265	465	175	1,225	2,045
2023	21,600	18,155	3,435	965	2,470	835	45	235	245	165	400	90	35	435	255	495	200	1,250	2,095
2024	21,540	18,020	3,520	990	2,530	845	45	225	235	175	400	100	45	445	265	550	190	–	–
2025	21,690	18,005	3,685	990	2,690	845	45	220	245	175	385	110	50	450	270	655	210	–	–
2026	21,835	18,015	3,820	1,015	2,805	870	50	210	235	185	380	115	50	465	315	720	220	–	–

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