Municipality · Drenthe

Municipality of Assen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Assen had 70,765 residents. 20.8% of them (14,690 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than Drenthe (14.1%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Asia (5.9%), other Europe (3.5%) and Indonesia (3.1%). 57.0% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.1 percentage points.

Residents: 70,765 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 20.8% 14,690 people
Born abroad: 57.0% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.1 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

79% 21%

Dutch origin 79.2% 56,075
Migration background 20.8% 14,690

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.9% 4,180 people

Drenthe 3.3% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

3.5% 2,485 people

Drenthe 3.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Indonesia

3.1% 2,180 people

Drenthe 1.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.4% 1,670 people

Drenthe 1.4% Netherlands 2.3%
Germany

1.3% 925 people

Drenthe 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.2% 845 people

Drenthe 0.81% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

0.78% 550 people

Drenthe 0.42% Netherlands 2.0%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.73% 515 people

Drenthe 0.39% Netherlands 1.1%
Turkey

0.71% 500 people

Drenthe 0.52% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.55% 390 people

Drenthe 0.32% Netherlands 2.4%
Poland

0.40% 285 people

Drenthe 0.56% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.21% 150 people

Drenthe 0.18% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

57% 43%

Born abroad (first generation) 57.0% 8,380
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 42.9% 6,300

Men and women

Men: 35,185
Women: 35,575

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Assen 20.8%

Higher than 61% of all municipalities in the Netherlands

Trend since 1998

Share of residents with a migration background, compared with larger areas.

Show

Measure % Residents

New CBS classification

20.8%

Municipality of Assen
Drenthe
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Assen	Drenthe	Netherlands
1998	13.3%	7.8%	16.7%
1999	13.6%	8.0%	17.1%
2000	13.6%	8.1%	17.5%
2001	13.6%	8.4%	18.0%
2002	13.9%	8.7%	18.4%
2003	14.0%	8.8%	18.8%
2004	13.7%	8.7%	19.0%
2005	13.9%	8.6%	19.2%
2006	13.8%	8.5%	19.3%
2007	13.9%	8.6%	19.4%
2008	14.0%	8.6%	19.6%
2009	14.0%	8.7%	19.9%
2010	14.0%	8.9%	20.3%
2011	14.1%	9.0%	20.6%
2012	14.1%	9.0%	20.9%
2013	14.1%	9.1%	21.1%
2014	14.2%	9.2%	21.4%
2015	14.5%	9.3%	21.7%
2016	14.6%	9.5%	22.1%
2017	15.0%	10.2%	22.6%
2018	15.4%	10.2%	23.1%
2019	15.7%	10.3%	23.6%
2020	16.2%	10.5%	24.2%
2021	16.5%	10.6%	24.6%
2022	17.7%	11.6%	26.0%
2023	18.6%	12.5%	27.1%
2024	19.4%	13.1%	27.9%
2025	20.3%	13.7%	28.5%
2026	20.8%	14.1%	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).

Cities and villages in Municipality of Assen

				Largest group
Assen	20.9%	70,040	+3.1 pp	Other Asia
Loon	7.5%	265	±0.0 pp	Indonesia
Ubbena	8.3%	180	−3.1 pp	Other Asia
Ter Aard	4.8%	105	−0.5 pp	–
Zeijerveld	5.3%	95	+0.3 pp	Indonesia
Rhee	10.0%	50	−2.5 pp	–
Zeijerveen	0.0%	30	±0.0 pp	–

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	56,220	48,765	7,465	1,975	5,465	250	195	355	2,490	175	860	90	85	940	465	1,240	295	4,695	2,765
1999	57,280	49,475	7,790	2,105	5,690	270	205	360	2,555	195	880	120	80	1,025	500	1,305	315	4,865	2,940
2000	58,390	50,460	7,930	2,190	5,765	260	210	355	2,525	230	895	115	90	1,095	510	1,360	320	4,915	3,015
2001	58,955	50,940	8,015	2,195	5,810	280	225	365	2,495	235	895	125	90	1,085	525	1,360	330	4,880	3,130
2002	60,175	51,830	8,345	2,300	6,045	295	225	390	2,495	260	920	145	95	1,140	635	1,445	305	4,990	3,360
2003	61,530	52,945	8,590	2,380	6,195	330	225	395	2,500	250	945	140	105	1,190	680	1,505	310	5,105	3,495
2004	61,870	53,335	8,505	2,345	6,170	315	230	415	2,485	275	930	140	95	1,180	690	1,450	315	5,010	3,510
2005	62,700	54,000	8,710	2,495	6,210	335	235	415	2,435	280	955	150	100	1,290	700	1,480	340	5,130	3,580
2006	63,345	54,620	8,720	2,570	6,160	355	250	415	2,415	290	970	170	95	1,335	650	1,460	330	5,165	3,555
2007	64,365	55,445	8,930	2,680	6,255	360	270	445	2,410	310	1,005	190	105	1,380	655	1,470	335	5,275	3,630
2008	65,470	56,340	9,150	2,730	6,395	360	285	470	2,420	315	1,020	215	120	1,380	690	1,515	350	5,365	3,780
2009	66,355	57,075	9,275	2,795	6,465	380	275	455	2,405	315	1,040	215	105	1,435	675	1,585	375	5,420	3,865
2010	66,850	57,500	9,345	2,830	6,525	360	290	455	2,410	325	1,060	215	105	1,450	670	1,620	395	5,445	3,905
2011	67,165	57,730	9,460	2,875	6,585	365	285	445	2,390	320	1,055	215	110	1,495	710	1,655	415	5,465	3,985
2012	67,220	57,745	9,475	2,880	6,580	380	305	450	2,350	345	1,050	235	110	1,485	725	1,645	385	5,440	4,040
2013	67,190	57,720	9,480	2,885	6,605	370	305	470	2,335	350	1,025	230	105	1,530	745	1,670	360	5,410	4,065
2014	67,195	57,640	9,555	2,915	6,645	360	310	460	2,365	345	1,005	250	115	1,545	760	1,650	400	5,455	4,110
2015	67,165	57,425	9,740	2,955	6,780	365	305	455	2,360	340	990	245	110	1,610	835	1,700	420	5,495	4,235
2016	67,060	57,240	9,820	2,910	6,905	355	310	450	2,325	360	985	245	100	1,585	860	1,820	430	5,430	4,400
2017	67,535	57,385	10,150	2,910	7,250	355	325	460	2,300	370	965	235	105	1,605	940	2,070	430	5,375	4,780
2018	67,705	57,265	10,440	2,905	7,540	360	325	455	2,280	375	940	230	110	1,625	1,035	2,260	455	5,360	5,075
2019	67,960	57,310	10,650	2,895	7,760	365	340	470	2,265	400	920	250	110	1,615	1,105	2,325	490	5,375	5,285
2020	68,595	57,450	11,145	2,990	8,150	415	350	475	2,255	415	935	265	110	1,680	1,195	2,530	525	5,460	5,690
2021	68,835	57,485	11,350	3,015	8,335	395	360	500	2,205	420	925	275	120	1,700	1,275	2,630	550	5,450	5,900
2022	68,970	56,790	12,200	2,935	9,255	410	365	505	2,290	445	970	275	125	1,560	1,335	3,180	700	5,420	6,145
2023	69,405	56,485	12,925	3,480	9,430	410	400	510	2,280	475	950	305	140	2,095	1,380	3,280	710	5,970	6,345
2024	69,700	56,165	13,535	3,685	9,835	435	395	515	2,230	470	935	295	145	2,315	1,470	3,590	755	–	–
2025	70,395	56,120	14,270	3,795	10,465	495	390	525	2,210	495	925	295	145	2,435	1,600	3,970	785	–	–
2026	70,765	56,075	14,690	3,835	10,840	500	390	550	2,180	515	925	285	150	2,485	1,670	4,180	845	–	–

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