Municipality · Limburg

Municipality of Kerkrade: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Kerkrade had 45,825 residents. 35.1% of them (16,085 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 (14.2%), other Europe (6.4%) and other Asia (4.1%). 58.6% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.3 percentage points.

Residents: 45,825 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 35.1% 16,085 people
Born abroad: 58.6% 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

65% 35%

Dutch origin 64.9% 29,740
Migration background 35.1% 16,085

Largest origin groups

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

Germany

14.2% 6,495 people

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

6.4% 2,945 people

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

4.1% 1,890 people

Limburg 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Poland

1.8% 810 people

Limburg 1.9% Netherlands 1.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.6% 735 people

Limburg 0.64% Netherlands 1.1%
Indonesia

1.4% 660 people

Limburg 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.3% 595 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Belgium

1.2% 570 people

Limburg 1.7% Netherlands 0.76%
Morocco

1.0% 475 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.4%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.89% 410 people

Limburg 1.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Turkey

0.82% 375 people

Limburg 1.3% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.27% 125 people

Limburg 0.33% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

59% 41%

Born abroad (first generation) 58.6% 9,425
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 41.4% 6,660

Men and women

Men: 23,010
Women: 22,810

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Kerkrade 35.1%

Higher than 91% 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

35.1%

Municipality of Kerkrade
Limburg
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Kerkrade	Limburg	Netherlands
1998	35.8%	19.1%	16.7%
1999	35.8%	19.2%	17.1%
2000	35.5%	19.3%	17.5%
2001	35.0%	19.4%	18.0%
2002	34.6%	19.6%	18.4%
2003	34.1%	19.6%	18.8%
2004	33.6%	19.7%	19.0%
2005	33.2%	19.6%	19.2%
2006	32.8%	19.6%	19.3%
2007	32.3%	19.5%	19.4%
2008	32.2%	19.6%	19.6%
2009	32.0%	19.7%	19.9%
2010	31.8%	19.8%	20.3%
2011	31.7%	20.0%	20.6%
2012	31.5%	20.3%	20.9%
2013	31.4%	20.5%	21.1%
2014	31.4%	20.7%	21.4%
2015	31.2%	20.9%	21.7%
2016	31.1%	21.1%	22.1%
2017	31.4%	21.5%	22.6%
2018	31.5%	21.8%	23.1%
2019	31.7%	22.1%	23.6%
2020	32.1%	22.5%	24.2%
2021	32.2%	22.7%	24.6%
2022	32.8%	23.8%	26.0%
2023	33.5%	24.7%	27.1%
2024	33.7%	25.4%	27.9%
2025	34.5%	26.0%	28.5%
2026	35.1%	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 Kerkrade

				Largest group
Kerkrade	35.7%	40,110	+2.5 pp	Germany
Eygelshoven	31.1%	5,715	+0.7 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	52,145	33,480	18,670	16,325	2,345	155	330	45	880	205	13,975	385	705	1,260	210	390	135	17,285	1,375
1999	51,770	33,255	18,515	16,100	2,450	165	330	45	860	205	13,640	395	695	1,370	230	480	140	17,040	1,480
2000	51,455	33,185	18,270	15,780	2,485	170	355	45	860	195	13,305	390	690	1,395	265	470	125	16,735	1,530
2001	51,065	33,190	17,885	15,320	2,565	180	385	40	855	195	12,855	380	680	1,405	265	495	150	16,300	1,590
2002	50,680	33,145	17,540	14,840	2,705	200	385	45	895	215	12,420	365	660	1,395	295	505	165	15,850	1,685
2003	50,295	33,135	17,155	14,405	2,750	210	405	45	885	235	12,000	350	630	1,425	320	500	150	15,420	1,750
2004	50,045	33,210	16,825	14,060	2,770	215	425	30	870	220	11,625	355	635	1,445	325	525	160	15,065	1,755
2005	49,560	33,105	16,460	13,715	2,740	215	395	35	855	215	11,245	340	615	1,515	335	525	170	14,695	1,765
2006	49,335	33,150	16,175	13,435	2,730	210	425	45	845	220	10,975	355	595	1,510	285	540	160	14,375	1,800
2007	48,770	33,015	15,775	13,030	2,740	230	405	50	835	215	10,620	350	590	1,470	315	535	160	13,980	1,780
2008	48,325	32,770	15,555	12,730	2,825	240	415	50	825	220	10,255	380	570	1,525	315	595	165	13,655	1,895
2009	48,070	32,700	15,370	12,480	2,895	245	410	60	805	245	10,010	400	565	1,505	320	640	170	13,415	1,965
2010	47,685	32,505	15,160	12,230	2,915	260	410	60	795	285	9,720	400	550	1,560	295	660	155	13,150	2,035
2011	47,400	32,395	15,015	12,065	2,960	260	435	65	785	250	9,520	405	575	1,565	295	670	205	12,970	2,040
2012	47,275	32,400	14,885	11,880	2,995	265	420	75	755	290	9,270	430	560	1,620	320	685	190	12,765	2,115
2013	47,200	32,385	14,820	11,790	3,055	270	440	80	750	295	9,110	450	560	1,670	320	685	220	12,665	2,145
2014	46,780	32,100	14,680	11,585	3,095	265	445	80	750	320	8,890	485	550	1,660	335	705	205	12,455	2,220
2015	46,530	31,990	14,540	11,365	3,170	275	435	80	730	350	8,670	480	550	1,665	350	765	190	12,210	2,325
2016	46,020	31,705	14,315	11,065	3,250	280	435	75	720	390	8,405	490	525	1,645	350	830	175	11,905	2,415
2017	45,935	31,500	14,435	10,955	3,475	285	450	80	735	415	8,205	500	535	1,715	380	945	190	11,795	2,650
2018	45,820	31,405	14,415	10,750	3,660	295	480	70	720	445	7,985	510	530	1,725	400	1,060	195	11,585	2,835
2019	45,645	31,175	14,470	10,690	3,780	270	485	80	710	495	7,775	550	535	1,830	395	1,140	210	11,510	2,960
2020	45,745	31,055	14,690	10,695	4,000	280	490	80	715	555	7,625	605	535	1,930	435	1,225	220	11,525	3,170
2021	45,435	30,825	14,610	10,515	4,095	305	480	85	695	550	7,400	630	545	1,940	420	1,305	260	11,340	3,275
2022	45,330	30,470	14,860	10,445	4,405	325	470	90	690	605	7,240	645	580	1,965	470	1,460	300	11,220	3,410
2023	45,630	30,355	15,280	10,610	4,665	325	465	105	700	660	7,040	725	600	2,250	515	1,560	320	11,405	3,645
2024	45,320	30,015	15,290	10,535	4,755	350	475	110	665	685	6,880	735	590	2,325	515	1,625	350	–	–
2025	45,485	29,785	15,710	10,740	4,970	355	465	100	665	725	6,695	775	575	2,690	540	1,725	375	–	–
2026	45,825	29,740	16,085	10,835	5,260	375	475	125	660	735	6,495	810	570	2,945	595	1,890	410	–	–

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