City · North Brabant

Waalwijk: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Waalwijk had 36,500 residents. 29.3% of them (10,710 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Waalwijk (24.7%) and about the same as the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (6.4%), Poland (5.0%) and Turkey (4.5%). 63.6% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.8 percentage points.

Residents: 36,500 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 29.3% 10,710 people
Born abroad: 63.6% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.8 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 70.7% 25,795
Migration background 29.3% 10,710

Largest origin groups

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

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

6.4% 2,340 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 5.6% Netherlands 5.6%
Poland

5.0% 1,810 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 4.1% Netherlands 1.4%
Turkey

4.5% 1,645 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 3.3% Netherlands 2.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

3.5% 1,290 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 3.0% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.3% 825 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 1.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Indonesia

2.2% 815 people

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

1.1% 400 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 1.0% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

1.0% 380 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 0.90% Netherlands 2.0%
Germany

1.0% 370 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 1.0% Netherlands 1.9%
Morocco

0.86% 315 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 0.69% Netherlands 2.4%
Belgium

0.75% 275 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 0.68% Netherlands 0.76%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.66% 240 people

Municipality of Waalwijk 0.58% Netherlands 1.1%

First and second generation

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

64% 36%

Born abroad (first generation) 63.6% 6,815
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 36.4% 3,895

Men and women

Men: 18,405
Women: 18,100

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Waalwijk 29.3%

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

29.3%

Waalwijk
Municipality of Waalwijk
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Waalwijk	Municipality of Waalwijk	Netherlands
1998	15.6%	12.1%	16.7%
1999	16.0%	12.5%	17.1%
2000	16.2%	12.7%	17.5%
2001	16.6%	12.9%	18.0%
2002	16.7%	13.1%	18.4%
2003	16.9%	13.2%	18.8%
2004	17.0%	13.2%	19.0%
2005	16.9%	13.3%	19.2%
2006	17.1%	13.4%	19.3%
2007	17.3%	13.6%	19.4%
2008	17.5%	13.7%	19.6%
2009	17.6%	13.8%	19.9%
2010	17.9%	14.1%	20.3%
2011	18.1%	14.3%	20.6%
2012	18.4%	14.8%	20.9%
2013	18.7%	15.0%	21.1%
2014	18.9%	15.3%	21.4%
2015	19.3%	15.7%	21.7%
2016	20.0%	16.2%	22.1%
2017	20.7%	16.8%	22.6%
2018	21.6%	17.4%	23.1%
2019	22.4%	18.2%	23.6%
2020	23.3%	19.0%	24.2%
2021	24.1%	19.5%	24.6%
2022	25.5%	20.9%	26.0%
2023	26.4%	22.0%	27.1%
2024	27.3%	22.9%	27.9%
2025	28.8%	24.1%	28.5%
2026	29.3%	24.7%	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 Waalwijk

				Largest group
5142 Laageinde, Baardwijk	34.2%	9,970	+4.1 pp	Turkey
5144 Zanddonk, Antoniusparochie	29.1%	9,380	+2.8 pp	Poland
5141 Besoyen, Centrum	23.9%	6,690	+1.5 pp	Other Europe
5143 Bloemenoord, Meerdijk	23.3%	4,960	+1.8 pp	Turkey
5146 Sprang-Capelle	20.5%	4,530	+2.3 pp	Turkey
5145 Waalwijk	92.3%	970	+15.1 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	29,725	25,105	4,630	1,185	3,450	1,325	150	265	1,065	140	440	70	175	500	165	230	110	2,330	2,305
1999	29,965	25,160	4,805	1,230	3,570	1,345	150	285	1,075	170	440	70	185	535	170	270	105	2,360	2,440
2000	30,015	25,150	4,875	1,250	3,610	1,365	160	295	1,070	145	430	70	180	570	200	275	105	2,375	2,505
2001	29,915	24,955	4,965	1,255	3,700	1,400	160	305	1,050	145	425	75	165	590	210	305	125	2,375	2,585
2002	30,090	25,055	5,040	1,260	3,795	1,420	165	315	1,035	160	430	70	180	585	225	350	125	2,365	2,680
2003	30,065	25,000	5,075	1,230	3,825	1,465	165	325	1,015	160	425	75	170	560	245	340	115	2,320	2,760
2004	30,120	25,015	5,110	1,240	3,870	1,465	180	320	1,000	165	430	95	175	540	255	365	125	2,315	2,790
2005	30,340	25,195	5,135	1,270	3,865	1,455	185	320	995	160	415	105	185	565	230	385	135	2,315	2,820
2006	30,375	25,200	5,185	1,300	3,880	1,495	185	320	990	165	410	120	180	595	210	360	160	2,345	2,830
2007	30,370	25,110	5,250	1,335	3,925	1,520	195	330	970	160	400	145	190	600	235	380	135	2,365	2,880
2008	30,480	25,140	5,340	1,345	3,985	1,560	195	330	970	150	395	150	205	595	240	390	155	2,380	2,960
2009	30,715	25,300	5,405	1,415	4,010	1,560	190	330	935	155	405	165	200	645	255	430	155	2,420	3,000
2010	30,830	25,325	5,510	1,465	4,035	1,585	195	320	925	155	400	225	200	640	255	450	150	2,490	3,020
2011	31,360	25,690	5,665	1,590	4,085	1,575	215	330	930	160	405	270	210	705	260	445	170	2,575	3,100
2012	31,610	25,815	5,805	1,720	4,085	1,570	195	330	920	170	420	345	215	740	290	450	160	2,715	3,085
2013	31,760	25,830	5,930	1,795	4,110	1,590	205	330	925	160	410	425	220	740	285	460	160	2,785	3,140
2014	31,950	25,920	6,030	1,900	4,130	1,560	200	340	910	165	405	510	210	775	315	475	165	2,885	3,145
2015	32,195	25,975	6,220	2,020	4,200	1,540	210	340	915	170	405	630	210	775	335	515	175	3,010	3,210
2016	32,440	25,950	6,490	2,175	4,315	1,555	215	350	895	160	405	745	210	820	350	600	190	3,155	3,330
2017	32,750	25,965	6,785	2,390	4,395	1,540	210	350	890	155	415	880	210	885	370	700	180	3,360	3,425
2018	33,120	25,975	7,145	2,590	4,555	1,560	205	345	890	150	400	985	210	995	435	795	175	3,550	3,595
2019	33,460	25,965	7,495	2,820	4,670	1,570	210	350	880	165	410	1,070	215	1,125	495	805	195	3,780	3,710
2020	33,705	25,850	7,855	3,070	4,780	1,585	240	355	870	160	405	1,200	215	1,250	515	835	220	4,030	3,830
2021	33,950	25,785	8,165	3,335	4,825	1,595	245	360	855	170	395	1,330	215	1,395	535	850	215	4,270	3,895
2022	34,455	25,650	8,800	3,710	5,100	1,595	265	360	855	190	395	1,515	250	1,555	595	920	315	4,610	4,015
2023	34,815	25,660	9,175	3,930	5,245	1,590	280	375	855	200	385	1,605	250	1,675	650	970	320	4,835	4,160
2024	35,120	25,545	9,575	4,185	5,385	1,600	285	385	835	195	380	1,750	265	1,790	685	1,055	340	–	–
2025	36,125	25,725	10,400	4,765	5,640	1,625	310	385	830	210	370	1,945	275	2,165	725	1,165	380	–	–
2026	36,500	25,795	10,710	4,805	5,900	1,645	315	380	815	240	370	1,810	275	2,340	825	1,290	400	–	–

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