City · Oldambt, Groningen

Westerlee: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Westerlee had 1,465 residents. 7.8% of them (115 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than the municipality of Oldambt (15.0%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (2.4%), other Asia (1.7%) and other Europe (1.0%). 47.8% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 1.1 percentage points.

Residents: 1,465 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 7.8% 115 people
Born abroad: 47.8% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +1.1 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

92%

Dutch origin 92.2% 1,350
Migration background 7.8% 115

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

2.4% 35 people

Oldambt 3.7% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

1.7% 25 people

Oldambt 2.7% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

1.0% 15 people

Oldambt 2.9% Netherlands 5.6%
Indonesia

0.68% 10 people

Oldambt 0.77% Netherlands 1.9%
Poland

0.68% 10 people

Oldambt 0.79% Netherlands 1.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.68% 10 people

Oldambt 0.70% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

0.34% 5 people

Oldambt 0.60% Netherlands 2.0%
Belgium

0.34% 5 people

Oldambt 0.16% Netherlands 0.76%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

0.34% 5 people

Oldambt 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Turkey

0.0% 0 people

Oldambt 0.34% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.0% 0 people

Oldambt 0.15% Netherlands 2.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.0% 0 people

Oldambt 0.77% Netherlands 1.1%

First and second generation

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

48% 52%

Born abroad (first generation) 47.8% 55
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 52.2% 60

Men and women

Men: 765
Women: 700

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Westerlee 7.8%

Higher than 19% 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

7.8%

Westerlee
Oldambt
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Westerlee	Oldambt	Netherlands
1998	4.8%	9.5%	16.7%
1999	4.8%	10.0%	17.1%
2000	4.7%	10.2%	17.5%
2001	5.9%	10.6%	18.0%
2002	6.3%	10.8%	18.4%
2003	6.2%	10.5%	18.8%
2004	6.7%	10.5%	19.0%
2005	6.8%	10.4%	19.2%
2006	7.5%	10.5%	19.3%
2007	6.9%	10.5%	19.4%
2008	7.2%	10.4%	19.6%
2009	7.2%	10.1%	19.9%
2010	7.3%	9.9%	20.3%
2011	7.0%	10.0%	20.6%
2012	6.7%	9.9%	20.9%
2013	6.9%	10.0%	21.1%
2014	6.3%	10.1%	21.4%
2015	6.4%	10.1%	21.7%
2016	6.8%	10.2%	22.1%
2017	6.5%	10.5%	22.6%
2018	7.4%	10.9%	23.1%
2019	7.4%	11.1%	23.6%
2020	7.0%	11.3%	24.2%
2021	6.4%	11.4%	24.6%
2022	6.7%	12.2%	26.0%
2023	6.6%	13.1%	27.1%
2024	7.0%	13.7%	27.9%
2025	6.7%	14.3%	28.5%
2026	7.8%	15.0%	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 Westerlee

				Largest group
9678 Westerlee	7.8%	1,465	+1.1 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	Suriname	Indonesia	Dutch Caribbean	Germany	Poland	Belgium	Other Europe	Other Africa	Other Asia	Other Americas & Oceania	Western migration background	Non-Western migration background
1998	1,550	1,475	75	60	20	0	5	0	45	5	0	10	0	10	5	60	10
1999	1,555	1,485	75	60	20	0	5	0	50	5	0	5	5	5	5	65	10
2000	1,585	1,510	75	55	20	0	5	0	50	5	5	0	0	10	5	60	15
2001	1,600	1,505	95	60	35	5	5	0	55	10	0	0	5	20	0	70	25
2002	1,600	1,495	100	65	35	0	5	0	50	5	5	5	0	25	5	70	30
2003	1,605	1,505	100	65	40	5	5	0	55	5	0	5	5	20	5	70	35
2004	1,635	1,525	110	75	45	5	5	0	50	5	0	20	5	20	10	75	35
2005	1,615	1,505	110	75	40	5	0	0	55	5	0	15	10	20	5	80	30
2006	1,595	1,475	120	75	40	10	5	0	55	10	5	5	10	15	0	85	35
2007	1,590	1,485	110	75	35	10	10	0	60	10	0	5	5	10	0	85	25
2008	1,605	1,485	115	75	45	10	10	0	60	10	5	0	10	10	5	85	30
2009	1,590	1,475	115	80	30	0	10	0	55	10	0	15	5	5	10	85	25
2010	1,585	1,475	115	80	35	5	5	0	55	15	5	5	5	15	5	85	25
2011	1,575	1,465	110	75	35	5	10	0	50	15	5	5	5	10	5	85	25
2012	1,560	1,450	105	75	35	5	10	0	45	15	5	10	5	10	5	85	25
2013	1,525	1,415	105	70	35	5	5	0	45	15	5	5	5	15	5	80	25
2014	1,505	1,410	95	70	25	5	10	0	40	10	5	15	0	5	5	80	15
2015	1,480	1,385	95	65	30	0	10	0	40	10	5	10	5	5	10	80	15
2016	1,460	1,360	100	70	25	5	10	0	40	10	5	15	0	5	5	80	20
2017	1,470	1,375	95	65	30	0	10	0	40	10	5	10	5	5	10	75	20
2018	1,495	1,385	110	65	40	0	10	5	40	10	5	10	5	10	10	75	30
2019	1,480	1,370	110	65	45	5	10	0	40	10	5	10	5	10	15	80	30
2020	1,490	1,385	105	65	40	5	10	0	45	10	5	5	5	10	10	80	30
2021	1,480	1,385	95	60	35	0	10	0	30	15	5	10	5	15	5	70	20
2022	1,490	1,390	100	55	45	0	10	5	30	10	0	10	0	15	10	65	25
2023	1,515	1,410	100	55	50	0	10	0	30	10	5	10	5	15	15	70	25
2024	1,495	1,390	105	60	45	5	10	0	35	10	5	10	5	15	10	–	–
2025	1,485	1,390	100	55	45	5	5	0	30	10	5	10	5	15	10	–	–
2026	1,465	1,350	115	60	55	5	10	0	35	10	5	15	5	25	10	–	–

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