City · South Holland

Zoetermeer: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, Zoetermeer had 130,830 residents. 38.4% of them (50,255 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is about the same as South Holland (38.5%) and higher than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (9.3%), Suriname (7.3%) and other Europe (4.1%). 52.3% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 4.2 percentage points.

Residents: 130,830 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 38.4% 50,255 people
Born abroad: 52.3% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +4.2 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

62% 38%

Dutch origin 61.6% 80,580
Migration background 38.4% 50,255

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

9.3% 12,165 people

South Holland 6.5% Netherlands 5.3%
Suriname

7.3% 9,520 people

South Holland 4.0% Netherlands 2.0%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

4.1% 5,315 people

South Holland 7.1% Netherlands 5.6%
Indonesia

3.8% 5,000 people

South Holland 2.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

2.7% 3,505 people

South Holland 2.2% Netherlands 1.1%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.5% 3,325 people

South Holland 3.1% Netherlands 2.3%
Morocco

2.4% 3,125 people

South Holland 3.6% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.8% 2,290 people

South Holland 2.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Turkey

1.7% 2,285 people

South Holland 4.1% Netherlands 2.6%
Germany

1.3% 1,650 people

South Holland 1.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Poland

1.2% 1,540 people

South Holland 1.8% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.42% 555 people

South Holland 0.53% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

52% 48%

Born abroad (first generation) 52.3% 26,305
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 47.7% 23,970

Men and women

Men: 64,295
Women: 66,525

Compared with all cities

Netherlands 29.1% Zoetermeer 38.4%

Higher than 97% 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

38.4%

Zoetermeer
South Holland
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Zoetermeer	South Holland	Netherlands
1998	22.9%	22.1%	16.7%
1999	23.5%	22.7%	17.1%
2000	23.8%	23.2%	17.5%
2001	24.0%	23.9%	18.0%
2002	24.5%	24.6%	18.4%
2003	25.0%	25.2%	18.8%
2004	25.6%	25.7%	19.0%
2005	26.0%	26.0%	19.2%
2006	26.3%	26.3%	19.3%
2007	26.7%	26.5%	19.4%
2008	27.2%	26.9%	19.6%
2009	27.7%	27.4%	19.9%
2010	28.2%	28.0%	20.3%
2011	28.4%	28.5%	20.6%
2012	28.8%	29.0%	20.9%
2013	29.2%	29.3%	21.1%
2014	29.4%	29.6%	21.4%
2015	29.8%	30.1%	21.7%
2016	30.1%	30.6%	22.1%
2017	30.6%	31.2%	22.6%
2018	31.0%	31.8%	23.1%
2019	31.5%	32.4%	23.6%
2020	32.1%	33.1%	24.2%
2021	32.7%	33.6%	24.6%
2022	34.2%	35.1%	26.0%
2023	35.5%	36.3%	27.1%
2024	36.6%	37.1%	27.9%
2025	37.5%	37.8%	28.5%
2026	38.4%	38.5%	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 Zoetermeer

				Largest group
2729 Oosterheem	45.2%	13,025	+3.2 pp	Suriname
2719 Rokkeveen	27.3%	11,775	+2.0 pp	Other Asia
2721 Oosterheem	40.6%	11,595	+3.5 pp	Other Asia
2716 Meerzicht	41.0%	10,165	+3.7 pp	Other Asia
2718 Rokkeveen	32.6%	8,920	+3.0 pp	Suriname
2728 Noordhove	30.3%	8,410	+3.5 pp	Suriname
2717 Buytenwegh	50.1%	7,930	+5.3 pp	Other Asia
2724 Seghwaert	34.8%	7,205	+4.4 pp	Other Asia
2713 Driemanspolder	43.2%	6,670	+4.5 pp	Other Asia
2712 Rokkehage	32.8%	6,595	+11.7 pp	Other Asia
2726 De Leyens, Buytenwegh	34.6%	6,250	+3.9 pp	Other Europe
2715 Meerzicht	52.4%	6,080	+6.2 pp	Other Asia
2722 Palenstein	49.8%	6,000	+5.2 pp	Other Asia
2725 De Leyens	24.1%	5,840	+2.1 pp	Indonesia
2727 Seghwaert	37.5%	5,320	+3.2 pp	Other Asia
2711 Stadscentrum	44.8%	5,125	+5.0 pp	Other Asia
2723 Seghwaert	32.4%	3,925	+2.2 pp	Other Asia

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	108,205	83,425	24,770	5,435	19,350	350	525	6,350	6,895	1,610	2,145	190	480	2,620	915	1,750	955	12,725	12,040
1999	108,895	83,315	25,585	5,545	20,075	395	600	6,475	6,830	1,695	2,150	185	485	2,725	1,035	1,995	1,050	12,830	12,760
2000	109,945	83,805	26,125	5,540	20,615	420	715	6,565	6,715	1,800	2,155	190	470	2,725	1,110	2,230	1,060	12,735	13,420
2001	110,115	83,675	26,420	5,575	20,865	440	760	6,545	6,610	1,935	2,115	185	490	2,785	1,090	2,395	1,090	12,625	13,810
2002	110,485	83,480	27,015	5,650	21,380	485	860	6,655	6,520	1,975	2,090	180	490	2,890	1,155	2,630	1,105	12,640	14,370
2003	112,580	84,395	28,185	5,745	22,460	560	985	6,905	6,495	2,055	2,060	210	485	2,990	1,295	3,005	1,160	12,720	15,465
2004	114,215	84,995	29,210	5,825	23,385	615	1,150	7,200	6,435	2,155	2,070	225	500	3,030	1,310	3,310	1,210	12,760	16,460
2005	115,790	85,685	30,120	6,000	24,125	695	1,305	7,340	6,410	2,190	2,085	245	520	3,150	1,330	3,615	1,240	12,935	17,180
2006	116,975	86,185	30,800	6,055	24,755	745	1,400	7,635	6,340	2,180	2,070	255	505	3,225	1,340	3,850	1,265	12,940	17,855
2007	118,030	86,525	31,515	6,140	25,375	800	1,500	7,800	6,320	2,225	2,065	300	510	3,265	1,320	4,100	1,310	13,005	18,505
2008	119,495	87,050	32,465	6,280	26,140	860	1,655	7,900	6,220	2,345	2,055	335	510	3,380	1,425	4,420	1,315	13,055	19,395
2009	120,880	87,410	33,475	6,470	26,995	930	1,730	8,035	6,210	2,465	2,035	395	525	3,515	1,465	4,725	1,435	13,205	20,240
2010	121,530	87,320	34,230	6,585	27,640	985	1,830	8,140	6,150	2,530	2,025	405	525	3,630	1,520	4,970	1,515	13,325	20,910
2011	121,910	87,300	34,625	6,655	27,965	1,010	1,915	8,180	6,060	2,550	2,000	445	525	3,685	1,570	5,185	1,495	13,285	21,325
2012	122,335	87,085	35,245	6,735	28,485	1,075	1,945	8,300	5,995	2,610	1,970	485	540	3,740	1,670	5,380	1,510	13,300	21,940
2013	123,100	87,175	35,920	6,760	29,175	1,130	2,010	8,390	5,960	2,725	1,955	540	550	3,715	1,775	5,610	1,575	13,300	22,640
2014	123,560	87,190	36,370	6,865	29,510	1,135	2,085	8,410	5,900	2,750	1,920	620	545	3,780	1,765	5,860	1,605	13,330	23,040
2015	124,030	87,090	36,940	7,005	29,930	1,185	2,225	8,475	5,800	2,740	1,900	680	545	3,880	1,815	6,065	1,625	13,360	23,575
2016	124,105	86,765	37,340	7,120	30,215	1,205	2,235	8,505	5,745	2,750	1,850	805	550	3,915	1,845	6,305	1,625	13,420	23,920
2017	124,765	86,645	38,120	7,270	30,850	1,275	2,270	8,540	5,655	2,760	1,835	910	560	3,965	1,960	6,745	1,645	13,485	24,640
2018	124,700	86,075	38,625	7,380	31,245	1,285	2,265	8,580	5,555	2,785	1,815	965	540	4,060	2,020	7,085	1,670	13,480	25,145
2019	124,945	85,625	39,320	7,525	31,800	1,325	2,290	8,640	5,460	2,850	1,785	1,055	525	4,160	2,175	7,355	1,705	13,535	25,785
2020	125,285	85,105	40,180	7,710	32,475	1,410	2,365	8,735	5,360	2,855	1,755	1,140	500	4,315	2,305	7,670	1,775	13,630	26,550
2021	125,270	84,275	40,995	7,820	33,165	1,470	2,470	8,815	5,285	2,935	1,710	1,190	495	4,425	2,425	7,980	1,785	13,650	27,335
2022	125,750	82,720	43,035	7,880	35,160	1,625	2,595	8,945	5,330	3,090	1,790	1,240	520	4,295	2,625	8,955	2,025	13,715	28,460
2023	127,000	81,875	45,105	8,480	36,650	1,800	2,700	9,060	5,250	3,210	1,735	1,370	520	4,840	2,755	9,805	2,075	14,255	30,010
2024	128,425	81,435	46,990	8,820	38,170	1,960	2,875	9,210	5,135	3,325	1,700	1,490	530	5,105	2,925	10,590	2,165	–	–
2025	129,870	81,210	48,655	8,915	39,745	2,160	3,020	9,370	5,060	3,410	1,675	1,530	540	5,170	3,070	11,410	2,245	–	–
2026	130,830	80,580	50,255	9,060	41,185	2,285	3,125	9,520	5,000	3,505	1,650	1,540	555	5,315	3,325	12,165	2,290	–	–

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