City · Weststellingwerf, Friesland

Wolvega: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Wolvega had 13,585 residents. 13.7% of them (1,855 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than the municipality of Weststellingwerf (10.7%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (3.4%), other Europe (2.1%) and Morocco (1.4%). 59.6% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.3 percentage points.

Residents: 13,585 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 13.7% 1,855 people
Born abroad: 59.6% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.3 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

86%

Dutch origin 86.3% 11,730
Migration background 13.7% 1,855

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

3.4% 465 people

Weststellingwerf 2.2% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

2.1% 285 people

Weststellingwerf 2.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Morocco

1.4% 195 people

Weststellingwerf 0.73% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.4% 195 people

Weststellingwerf 0.86% Netherlands 2.3%
Germany

1.4% 185 people

Weststellingwerf 1.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

0.81% 110 people

Weststellingwerf 0.86% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.77% 105 people

Weststellingwerf 0.68% Netherlands 1.7%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.70% 95 people

Weststellingwerf 0.53% Netherlands 1.1%
Poland

0.70% 95 people

Weststellingwerf 0.53% Netherlands 1.4%
Suriname

0.44% 60 people

Weststellingwerf 0.30% Netherlands 2.0%
Turkey

0.37% 50 people

Weststellingwerf 0.21% Netherlands 2.6%
Belgium

0.15% 20 people

Weststellingwerf 0.26% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

60% 40%

Born abroad (first generation) 59.6% 1,105
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 40.4% 750

Men and women

Men: 6,685
Women: 6,900

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Wolvega 13.7%

Higher than 57% 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

13.7%

Wolvega
Weststellingwerf
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Wolvega	Weststellingwerf	Netherlands
1998	7.3%	5.9%	16.7%
1999	7.5%	5.9%	17.1%
2000	7.5%	6.1%	17.5%
2001	7.7%	6.2%	18.0%
2002	8.0%	6.9%	18.4%
2003	8.1%	8.0%	18.8%
2004	8.4%	8.7%	19.0%
2005	8.6%	8.8%	19.2%
2006	8.7%	6.8%	19.3%
2007	8.6%	6.8%	19.4%
2008	8.6%	6.7%	19.6%
2009	8.7%	6.8%	19.9%
2010	8.9%	6.9%	20.3%
2011	9.1%	7.0%	20.6%
2012	9.0%	7.0%	20.9%
2013	8.9%	7.0%	21.1%
2014	9.0%	7.0%	21.4%
2015	9.1%	7.1%	21.7%
2016	9.6%	7.4%	22.1%
2017	9.9%	7.8%	22.6%
2018	9.8%	7.7%	23.1%
2019	9.8%	7.7%	23.6%
2020	10.1%	7.8%	24.2%
2021	10.2%	8.0%	24.6%
2022	11.4%	9.0%	26.0%
2023	11.7%	9.6%	27.1%
2024	12.2%	9.8%	27.9%
2025	13.0%	10.3%	28.5%
2026	13.7%	10.7%	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 Wolvega

				Largest group
8471 Wolvega	14.2%	11,270	+2.0 pp	Other Asia
8472 De Scheene	11.0%	2,315	+4.0 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	11,760	10,900	860	310	555	0	145	55	70	90	205	20	20	65	80	70	45	395	470
1999	11,850	10,965	890	315	580	0	140	50	65	105	200	20	15	80	90	90	40	405	490
2000	11,985	11,090	895	315	585	5	140	55	65	115	210	20	15	70	65	100	40	400	500
2001	12,110	11,175	935	335	600	5	145	50	65	120	220	15	20	85	70	105	40	425	515
2002	12,170	11,195	970	355	615	0	155	45	65	120	225	15	15	100	55	135	40	440	525
2003	12,230	11,240	985	350	650	10	155	45	70	115	215	15	10	110	80	125	50	440	550
2004	12,170	11,145	1,025	345	690	10	160	45	75	115	210	20	15	100	85	150	50	450	580
2005	12,125	11,090	1,040	365	675	10	165	45	70	105	215	15	20	115	75	165	40	460	580
2006	12,105	11,050	1,050	375	680	15	170	45	75	100	220	20	20	115	70	155	50	475	580
2007	12,145	11,105	1,040	375	665	10	180	40	75	90	225	20	25	105	50	175	45	470	570
2008	12,425	11,365	1,065	390	675	15	175	40	80	105	230	25	20	115	50	175	40	485	575
2009	12,580	11,480	1,100	405	705	20	170	40	85	100	240	25	15	125	55	190	45	505	590
2010	12,685	11,555	1,135	415	720	20	180	40	85	100	235	30	20	130	55	200	40	520	615
2011	12,745	11,580	1,160	420	740	20	175	45	85	100	245	30	20	125	60	210	45	525	635
2012	12,670	11,530	1,145	420	730	10	175	50	90	95	235	20	25	140	70	200	40	515	625
2013	12,585	11,455	1,120	390	725	10	175	45	80	90	225	25	20	120	70	220	35	490	630
2014	12,540	11,410	1,130	400	730	10	180	50	90	90	220	25	15	140	80	195	35	495	630
2015	12,620	11,470	1,150	390	760	10	180	60	80	90	210	25	20	135	80	225	35	485	665
2016	12,755	11,535	1,220	400	810	15	185	55	85	85	215	30	20	135	85	260	40	500	710
2017	12,830	11,555	1,275	405	865	10	185	60	85	75	215	40	20	130	105	305	40	515	760
2018	12,850	11,590	1,260	400	860	15	180	60	85	80	205	40	20	135	110	295	35	500	755
2019	12,955	11,680	1,275	395	880	15	180	60	85	85	195	40	15	145	115	300	40	500	780
2020	13,020	11,710	1,310	410	900	15	195	55	95	75	185	50	20	155	120	295	50	520	795
2021	13,095	11,755	1,340	435	900	20	190	45	90	85	200	70	15	150	120	305	45	540	800
2022	13,255	11,745	1,510	465	1,040	30	195	55	100	85	215	65	15	165	140	360	80	570	855
2023	13,360	11,790	1,565	490	1,070	35	200	60	105	85	215	70	15	195	150	350	95	595	895
2024	13,395	11,755	1,640	540	1,105	40	180	55	100	90	200	80	20	240	160	375	90	–	–
2025	13,505	11,750	1,755	545	1,210	50	185	60	110	85	190	85	15	255	185	440	95	–	–
2026	13,585	11,730	1,855	580	1,270	50	195	60	110	95	185	95	20	285	195	465	105	–	–

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