City · Maasgouw, Limburg

Wessem: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Wessem had 1,980 residents. 16.4% of them (325 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than the municipality of Maasgouw (18.1%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (4.0%), other Europe (3.5%) and other Asia (2.5%). 55.4% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.0 percentage points.

Residents: 1,980 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 16.4% 325 people
Born abroad: 55.4% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.0 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

84% 16%

Dutch origin 83.6% 1,655
Migration background 16.4% 325

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

4.0% 80 people

Maasgouw 4.0% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

3.5% 70 people

Maasgouw 3.7% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

2.5% 50 people

Maasgouw 2.6% Netherlands 5.3%
Belgium

2.3% 45 people

Maasgouw 2.9% Netherlands 0.76%
Turkey

1.0% 20 people

Maasgouw 0.45% Netherlands 2.6%
Indonesia

1.0% 20 people

Maasgouw 1.0% Netherlands 1.9%
Poland

1.0% 20 people

Maasgouw 1.3% Netherlands 1.4%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

0.76% 15 people

Maasgouw 0.82% Netherlands 2.3%
Morocco

0.25% 5 people

Maasgouw 0.35% Netherlands 2.4%
Suriname

0.25% 5 people

Maasgouw 0.27% Netherlands 2.0%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.25% 5 people

Maasgouw 0.47% Netherlands 1.7%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.0% 0 people

Maasgouw 0.29% Netherlands 1.1%

First and second generation

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

55% 46%

Born abroad (first generation) 55.4% 180
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 46.2% 150

Men and women

Men: 1,015
Women: 965

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Wessem 16.4%

Higher than 70% 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

16.4%

Wessem
Maasgouw
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Wessem	Maasgouw	Netherlands
1998	12.6%	12.3%	16.7%
1999	12.4%	12.3%	17.1%
2000	11.9%	12.4%	17.5%
2001	11.6%	12.4%	18.0%
2002	12.0%	12.6%	18.4%
2003	11.8%	12.5%	18.8%
2004	12.1%	12.8%	19.0%
2005	11.9%	12.8%	19.2%
2006	11.5%	12.9%	19.3%
2007	11.6%	12.8%	19.4%
2008	11.6%	12.8%	19.6%
2009	11.7%	13.0%	19.9%
2010	11.6%	12.9%	20.3%
2011	11.7%	13.0%	20.6%
2012	11.9%	13.0%	20.9%
2013	12.1%	13.0%	21.1%
2014	12.2%	13.1%	21.4%
2015	12.3%	13.3%	21.7%
2016	12.4%	13.5%	22.1%
2017	13.0%	13.8%	22.6%
2018	12.9%	14.0%	23.1%
2019	12.9%	14.3%	23.6%
2020	12.9%	14.6%	24.2%
2021	12.6%	14.9%	24.6%
2022	13.4%	15.9%	26.0%
2023	15.0%	16.8%	27.1%
2024	15.3%	17.4%	27.9%
2025	16.4%	18.0%	28.5%
2026	16.4%	18.1%	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 Wessem

				Largest group
6019 Wessem	16.4%	1,980	+3.0 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	2,215	1,940	280	210	70	0	5	0	30	0	110	0	85	15	10	20	5	240	40
1999	2,220	1,950	275	205	60	0	5	0	25	0	110	5	75	15	0	30	0	240	40
2000	2,220	1,960	265	205	55	0	0	0	30	5	105	0	80	20	10	15	0	235	25
2001	2,200	1,945	255	190	60	0	5	5	35	0	100	0	70	20	5	10	0	225	30
2002	2,215	1,950	265	205	65	0	5	5	30	0	105	5	70	25	5	20	0	230	35
2003	2,245	1,980	265	200	70	0	5	0	30	0	100	0	65	35	5	25	5	225	40
2004	2,230	1,960	270	195	75	0	5	0	30	0	100	5	65	25	10	25	5	225	40
2005	2,230	1,970	265	200	65	0	5	0	25	0	100	5	65	30	10	25	0	230	40
2006	2,210	1,955	255	195	55	0	5	0	25	5	105	0	60	30	5	15	0	220	35
2007	2,200	1,950	255	190	55	0	5	0	25	5	105	0	60	25	5	15	0	215	35
2008	2,190	1,935	255	190	65	0	5	5	25	5	100	0	55	35	10	20	0	210	45
2009	2,185	1,935	255	180	75	5	0	0	20	5	90	0	55	35	25	15	5	205	50
2010	2,160	1,905	250	180	75	0	5	0	25	5	90	0	55	35	15	20	5	205	50
2011	2,145	1,895	250	180	75	0	0	0	20	0	90	5	55	30	30	15	10	200	50
2012	2,135	1,880	255	180	70	0	0	5	25	0	90	0	55	35	25	15	0	205	50
2013	2,140	1,880	260	180	85	0	5	0	25	0	90	5	50	35	25	25	5	205	55
2014	2,085	1,830	255	180	70	0	5	0	25	0	90	5	50	35	20	20	0	205	50
2015	2,065	1,810	255	170	85	5	5	0	25	0	85	5	50	30	15	30	5	195	60
2016	2,050	1,795	255	170	90	5	5	0	25	0	85	5	50	30	10	40	5	195	65
2017	2,080	1,810	270	175	100	5	5	0	20	0	85	5	50	35	15	50	5	200	75
2018	2,060	1,795	265	175	95	5	5	0	25	0	85	5	50	35	20	30	10	200	60
2019	2,055	1,790	265	185	80	0	5	5	25	0	85	10	50	40	15	30	0	205	55
2020	2,060	1,795	265	175	90	5	5	0	25	0	90	10	50	25	25	25	5	210	55
2021	2,025	1,770	255	175	85	10	5	0	25	0	85	15	40	35	15	20	10	205	55
2022	2,045	1,770	275	185	90	5	5	5	25	0	85	15	50	35	15	30	10	210	55
2023	2,035	1,730	305	190	110	20	10	5	20	0	80	15	50	45	10	40	5	225	70
2024	2,000	1,695	305	195	110	15	5	5	20	0	85	10	50	50	10	40	10	–	–
2025	2,015	1,685	330	215	110	15	5	5	25	0	85	15	45	70	10	40	10	–	–
2026	1,980	1,655	325	210	120	20	5	5	20	0	80	20	45	70	15	50	5	–	–

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