Municipality · Friesland

Municipality of Harlingen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Harlingen had 16,270 residents. 15.6% of them (2,545 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than Friesland (13.7%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (3.6%), other Asia (3.3%) and Germany (2.2%). 58.0% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 1.8 percentage points.

Residents: 16,270 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 15.6% 2,545 people
Born abroad: 58.0% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +1.8 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 84.4% 13,735
Migration background 15.6% 2,545

Largest origin groups

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

Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

3.6% 590 people

Friesland 3.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

3.3% 540 people

Friesland 3.2% Netherlands 5.3%
Germany

2.2% 360 people

Friesland 1.3% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

1.5% 240 people

Friesland 1.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.1% 175 people

Friesland 1.0% Netherlands 1.7%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.0% 170 people

Friesland 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Poland

0.77% 125 people

Friesland 0.40% Netherlands 1.4%
Suriname

0.61% 100 people

Friesland 0.51% Netherlands 2.0%
Turkey

0.55% 90 people

Friesland 0.43% Netherlands 2.6%
Morocco

0.46% 75 people

Friesland 0.35% Netherlands 2.4%
Belgium

0.28% 45 people

Friesland 0.17% Netherlands 0.76%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.22% 35 people

Friesland 0.60% Netherlands 1.1%

First and second generation

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

58% 41%

Born abroad (first generation) 58.0% 1,475
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 41.5% 1,055

Men and women

Men: 8,135
Women: 8,140

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Harlingen 15.6%

Higher than 35% 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

15.6%

Municipality of Harlingen
Friesland
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Harlingen	Friesland	Netherlands
1998	11.1%	7.0%	16.7%
1999	11.6%	7.3%	17.1%
2000	12.1%	7.5%	17.5%
2001	12.5%	7.9%	18.0%
2002	12.5%	8.2%	18.4%
2003	12.6%	8.4%	18.8%
2004	13.3%	8.4%	19.0%
2005	13.3%	8.4%	19.2%
2006	11.6%	8.2%	19.3%
2007	10.9%	8.1%	19.4%
2008	11.1%	8.2%	19.6%
2009	11.1%	8.3%	19.9%
2010	11.3%	8.5%	20.3%
2011	11.4%	8.5%	20.6%
2012	11.4%	8.7%	20.9%
2013	11.6%	8.7%	21.1%
2014	11.6%	8.8%	21.4%
2015	11.8%	9.0%	21.7%
2016	12.0%	9.1%	22.1%
2017	12.0%	9.5%	22.6%
2018	12.1%	9.8%	23.1%
2019	12.2%	10.0%	23.6%
2020	12.4%	10.3%	24.2%
2021	12.7%	10.5%	24.6%
2022	13.8%	11.5%	26.0%
2023	14.7%	12.3%	27.1%
2024	15.1%	12.8%	27.9%
2025	15.2%	13.3%	28.5%
2026	15.6%	13.7%	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).

Cities and villages in Municipality of Harlingen

				Largest group
Harlingen	15.8%	15,155	+1.8 pp	Other Europe
Midlum	15.9%	630	+5.0 pp	Other Europe
Wijnaldum	10.3%	485	−1.0 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	15,350	13,650	1,710	785	940	55	185	65	300	20	395	50	40	300	105	140	70	1,120	590
1999	15,440	13,640	1,795	785	1,020	60	165	70	300	30	385	50	45	305	115	225	60	1,125	675
2000	15,425	13,560	1,865	860	1,015	55	140	65	290	25	395	50	40	375	145	210	85	1,205	670
2001	15,445	13,535	1,925	880	1,035	60	140	60	280	30	380	40	40	425	125	260	80	1,210	700
2002	15,530	13,595	1,940	885	1,050	55	145	60	290	25	375	40	45	425	165	230	80	1,215	730
2003	15,550	13,595	1,965	850	1,110	55	130	65	290	35	360	45	25	425	200	255	80	1,185	785
2004	15,840	13,725	2,110	940	1,165	55	125	70	280	30	380	40	30	490	225	290	90	1,265	845
2005	15,960	13,840	2,115	975	1,145	55	135	65	285	30	375	40	35	525	195	290	90	1,305	815
2006	15,635	13,825	1,820	865	965	55	125	70	280	25	380	45	35	405	130	185	95	1,190	630
2007	15,460	13,765	1,690	845	855	50	120	60	275	25	390	50	30	375	90	130	105	1,150	530
2008	15,560	13,845	1,720	850	850	55	120	65	270	25	390	55	30	375	85	145	85	1,165	565
2009	15,685	13,960	1,735	880	865	50	105	65	265	30	390	55	30	405	90	170	90	1,185	545
2010	15,805	14,025	1,785	915	875	45	105	75	275	30	405	70	25	415	90	155	100	1,235	550
2011	15,875	14,055	1,815	915	895	55	105	80	260	25	405	75	35	400	95	170	105	1,235	585
2012	15,850	14,040	1,810	920	895	50	90	80	270	15	385	65	40	430	105	175	110	1,225	590
2013	15,850	14,025	1,835	900	925	55	105	85	265	20	390	75	40	395	110	195	95	1,215	625
2014	15,820	13,980	1,840	920	920	50	90	85	270	25	375	80	40	425	115	200	85	1,230	615
2015	15,780	13,915	1,865	925	945	50	90	90	265	15	370	90	35	430	115	215	105	1,230	630
2016	15,815	13,915	1,900	940	955	45	95	100	260	20	365	90	35	450	110	225	100	1,235	655
2017	15,865	13,965	1,900	930	970	50	100	90	245	20	375	85	40	430	110	255	105	1,215	680
2018	15,780	13,865	1,915	930	980	50	100	85	240	15	370	90	45	425	105	285	100	1,210	695
2019	15,755	13,840	1,915	920	1,000	50	90	80	240	20	370	90	45	415	125	290	110	1,205	715
2020	15,725	13,775	1,950	910	1,040	60	90	85	230	25	375	95	45	395	115	320	115	1,200	750
2021	15,810	13,805	2,005	950	1,050	60	90	80	240	30	365	105	45	435	120	315	115	1,250	755
2022	15,910	13,715	2,195	1,010	1,175	65	85	90	245	40	370	120	55	475	130	355	155	1,285	800
2023	16,185	13,815	2,380	1,165	1,225	75	80	90	245	40	375	130	55	610	140	380	160	1,430	850
2024	16,225	13,775	2,450	1,135	1,320	85	85	90	240	30	365	130	50	590	155	455	165	–	–
2025	16,210	13,750	2,465	1,120	1,355	85	80	95	235	35	360	125	50	570	165	490	165	–	–
2026	16,270	13,735	2,545	1,120	1,420	90	75	100	240	35	360	125	45	590	170	540	175	–	–

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