Municipality · Limburg

Municipality of Heerlen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Heerlen had 87,760 residents. 33.7% of them (29,615 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than Limburg (26.6%) and higher than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are Germany (7.0%), other Europe (5.9%) and other Asia (5.2%). 53.8% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.1 percentage points.

Residents: 87,760 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 33.7% 29,615 people
Born abroad: 53.8% 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

66% 34%

Dutch origin 66.3% 58,155
Migration background 33.7% 29,615

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

7.0% 6,165 people

Limburg 5.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

5.9% 5,155 people

Limburg 5.5% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.2% 4,575 people

Limburg 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Morocco

2.9% 2,560 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.4%
Indonesia

2.5% 2,160 people

Limburg 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.3% 1,985 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.9% 1,695 people

Limburg 0.64% Netherlands 1.1%
Poland

1.9% 1,645 people

Limburg 1.9% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

1.4% 1,245 people

Limburg 1.7% Netherlands 0.76%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.3% 1,180 people

Limburg 1.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Turkey

0.87% 760 people

Limburg 1.3% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.51% 450 people

Limburg 0.33% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

54% 46%

Born abroad (first generation) 53.8% 15,940
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 46.2% 13,670

Men and women

Men: 43,935
Women: 43,830

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Heerlen 33.7%

Higher than 89% 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

33.7%

Municipality of Heerlen
Limburg
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Heerlen	Limburg	Netherlands
1998	26.7%	19.1%	16.7%
1999	26.8%	19.2%	17.1%
2000	26.9%	19.3%	17.5%
2001	27.0%	19.4%	18.0%
2002	27.4%	19.6%	18.4%
2003	27.4%	19.6%	18.8%
2004	27.5%	19.7%	19.0%
2005	27.5%	19.6%	19.2%
2006	27.5%	19.6%	19.3%
2007	27.4%	19.5%	19.4%
2008	27.3%	19.6%	19.6%
2009	27.5%	19.7%	19.9%
2010	27.5%	19.8%	20.3%
2011	27.4%	20.0%	20.6%
2012	27.5%	20.3%	20.9%
2013	27.6%	20.5%	21.1%
2014	27.7%	20.7%	21.4%
2015	27.6%	20.9%	21.7%
2016	27.9%	21.1%	22.1%
2017	28.1%	21.5%	22.6%
2018	28.3%	21.8%	23.1%
2019	28.6%	22.1%	23.6%
2020	29.1%	22.5%	24.2%
2021	29.5%	22.7%	24.6%
2022	30.7%	23.8%	26.0%
2023	31.4%	24.7%	27.1%
2024	32.2%	25.4%	27.9%
2025	32.8%	26.0%	28.5%
2026	33.7%	26.6%	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 Heerlen

				Largest group
Heerlen	34.7%	69,025	+3.1 pp	Germany
Hoensbroek	30.3%	18,735	+2.9 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	95,665	70,145	25,520	17,005	8,505	415	1,885	390	3,035	510	11,935	845	1,465	2,765	710	995	565	20,425	5,100
1999	95,370	69,800	25,565	16,895	8,655	410	1,925	375	3,035	540	11,795	835	1,460	2,810	710	1,075	585	20,285	5,280
2000	95,125	69,535	25,595	16,785	8,815	430	1,970	375	2,985	595	11,555	825	1,450	2,960	740	1,165	560	20,110	5,485
2001	95,155	69,385	25,735	16,670	9,070	460	2,055	365	2,960	625	11,300	835	1,465	3,070	845	1,185	575	20,000	5,755
2002	95,000	68,990	25,990	16,580	9,420	510	2,155	390	2,940	645	11,020	850	1,490	3,225	910	1,300	575	19,870	6,115
2003	93,975	68,270	25,705	16,275	9,440	500	2,185	370	2,880	640	10,790	825	1,465	3,195	960	1,295	610	19,515	6,185
2004	93,530	67,785	25,735	16,010	9,730	545	2,265	380	2,850	655	10,515	850	1,410	3,235	1,030	1,405	600	19,225	6,510
2005	92,535	67,070	25,465	15,750	9,740	560	2,285	385	2,825	630	10,275	850	1,395	3,230	1,040	1,440	575	18,930	6,520
2006	91,500	66,340	25,165	15,390	9,760	555	2,350	365	2,830	630	9,965	840	1,370	3,220	995	1,450	585	18,560	6,590
2007	90,540	65,725	24,820	15,115	9,725	580	2,325	360	2,770	650	9,750	850	1,330	3,190	1,005	1,465	570	18,210	6,620
2008	89,665	65,165	24,500	14,860	9,630	565	2,325	350	2,685	615	9,480	900	1,305	3,175	990	1,530	570	17,910	6,580
2009	89,360	64,800	24,555	14,660	9,890	560	2,350	350	2,675	660	9,240	935	1,290	3,195	1,100	1,585	610	17,690	6,850
2010	89,230	64,680	24,575	14,565	9,980	570	2,370	350	2,645	675	9,105	950	1,300	3,210	1,100	1,650	620	17,575	6,980
2011	89,225	64,790	24,425	14,375	10,055	580	2,385	380	2,650	690	8,885	945	1,280	3,270	1,080	1,675	615	17,370	7,080
2012	89,020	64,570	24,455	14,265	10,180	595	2,365	370	2,630	720	8,740	955	1,280	3,300	1,140	1,725	635	17,235	7,210
2013	88,745	64,255	24,490	14,190	10,310	585	2,395	380	2,600	705	8,540	1,000	1,290	3,365	1,150	1,855	640	17,140	7,350
2014	88,255	63,765	24,490	14,015	10,475	585	2,400	385	2,560	720	8,325	1,005	1,280	3,405	1,255	1,915	655	16,910	7,580
2015	87,505	63,310	24,195	13,745	10,450	590	2,390	365	2,520	715	8,105	995	1,245	3,400	1,230	1,960	680	16,605	7,585
2016	87,405	63,055	24,350	13,635	10,720	605	2,375	385	2,485	770	7,915	1,030	1,245	3,445	1,225	2,175	700	16,470	7,890
2017	87,190	62,670	24,520	13,475	11,040	615	2,350	390	2,450	805	7,700	1,060	1,215	3,505	1,285	2,435	710	16,290	8,230
2018	86,760	62,180	24,580	13,375	11,210	600	2,370	420	2,415	820	7,500	1,095	1,205	3,575	1,335	2,545	705	16,145	8,445
2019	86,830	61,955	24,875	13,315	11,560	615	2,375	410	2,375	890	7,275	1,160	1,190	3,690	1,375	2,765	755	16,030	8,845
2020	87,085	61,750	25,335	13,320	12,025	630	2,435	410	2,340	1,030	7,145	1,170	1,195	3,810	1,435	2,930	815	16,020	9,330
2021	86,935	61,300	25,635	13,240	12,390	630	2,495	410	2,305	1,165	6,940	1,210	1,195	3,895	1,475	3,095	815	15,900	9,730
2022	86,835	60,215	26,625	13,345	13,270	635	2,505	425	2,285	1,375	6,885	1,270	1,260	3,925	1,555	3,525	985	15,895	10,170
2023	87,130	59,785	27,320	13,580	13,740	670	2,510	445	2,260	1,545	6,695	1,325	1,245	4,330	1,595	3,725	1,030	16,115	10,660
2024	87,455	59,330	28,135	13,810	14,325	695	2,515	425	2,195	1,660	6,475	1,445	1,250	4,625	1,725	4,000	1,100	–	–
2025	87,515	58,770	28,745	13,970	14,775	725	2,540	445	2,190	1,705	6,330	1,520	1,260	4,860	1,825	4,250	1,115	–	–
2026	87,760	58,155	29,615	14,230	15,380	760	2,560	450	2,160	1,695	6,165	1,645	1,245	5,155	1,985	4,575	1,180	–	–

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