Municipality · Friesland

Municipality of Leeuwarden: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Leeuwarden had 130,190 residents. 22.5% of them (29,310 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 Asia (5.2%), other Europe (4.8%) and other Africa (2.8%). 60.8% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.3 percentage points.

Residents: 130,190 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 22.5% 29,310 people
Born abroad: 60.8% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.3 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

77% 23%

Dutch origin 77.5% 100,885
Migration background 22.5% 29,310

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

5.2% 6,790 people

Friesland 3.2% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

4.8% 6,185 people

Friesland 3.0% Netherlands 5.6%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

2.8% 3,600 people

Friesland 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Germany

1.7% 2,240 people

Friesland 1.3% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

1.7% 2,190 people

Friesland 1.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.5% 2,015 people

Friesland 0.60% Netherlands 1.1%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.4% 1,870 people

Friesland 1.0% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

1.2% 1,510 people

Friesland 0.51% Netherlands 2.0%
Morocco

0.87% 1,130 people

Friesland 0.35% Netherlands 2.4%
Turkey

0.65% 840 people

Friesland 0.43% Netherlands 2.6%
Poland

0.49% 640 people

Friesland 0.40% Netherlands 1.4%
Belgium

0.20% 255 people

Friesland 0.17% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

61% 39%

Born abroad (first generation) 60.8% 17,830
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 39.0% 11,445

Men and women

Men: 64,885
Women: 65,265

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Leeuwarden 22.5%

Higher than 66% 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

22.5%

Municipality of Leeuwarden
Friesland
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Leeuwarden	Friesland	Netherlands
1998	11.7%	7.0%	16.7%
1999	12.1%	7.3%	17.1%
2000	12.4%	7.5%	17.5%
2001	12.9%	7.9%	18.0%
2002	13.3%	8.2%	18.4%
2003	13.8%	8.4%	18.8%
2004	13.8%	8.4%	19.0%
2005	13.8%	8.4%	19.2%
2006	13.8%	8.2%	19.3%
2007	13.9%	8.1%	19.4%
2008	14.0%	8.2%	19.6%
2009	14.3%	8.3%	19.9%
2010	14.6%	8.5%	20.3%
2011	15.0%	8.5%	20.6%
2012	15.2%	8.7%	20.9%
2013	15.4%	8.7%	21.1%
2014	15.4%	8.8%	21.4%
2015	15.4%	9.0%	21.7%
2016	15.7%	9.1%	22.1%
2017	16.2%	9.5%	22.6%
2018	16.6%	9.8%	23.1%
2019	17.1%	10.0%	23.6%
2020	17.7%	10.3%	24.2%
2021	18.0%	10.5%	24.6%
2022	19.3%	11.5%	26.0%
2023	20.3%	12.3%	27.1%
2024	21.1%	12.8%	27.9%
2025	22.0%	13.3%	28.5%
2026	22.5%	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 Leeuwarden

				Largest group
Leeuwarden	26.4%	99,345	+3.6 pp	Other Asia
Stiens	11.0%	7,760	+1.2 pp	Other Asia
Grou	13.1%	5,785	+3.8 pp	Other Europe
Goutum	11.8%	3,435	+3.0 pp	Other Asia
Wergea	8.6%	1,865	+0.8 pp	Other Asia
Jirnsum	9.1%	1,380	+1.5 pp	Other Asia
Wirdum (Leeuwarden)	8.2%	1,160	+1.7 pp	Other Europe
Mantgum	9.2%	1,085	−0.9 pp	Other Europe
Reduzum	9.3%	1,080	+2.8 pp	Other Asia
Britsum	9.7%	930	+0.2 pp	Germany
Warten	9.7%	875	+3.1 pp	Germany
Wytgaard	6.6%	610	+0.5 pp	Germany
Weidum	5.7%	530	+0.2 pp	Other Europe
Easterlittens	4.7%	430	+1.1 pp	Germany
Koarnjum	8.3%	420	+1.3 pp	Other Asia
Lekkum	9.6%	415	+1.4 pp	Indonesia
Hijum	11.0%	410	+1.5 pp	Dutch Caribbean
Jorwert	4.9%	305	−2.9 pp	Indonesia
Hilaard	5.0%	300	+1.8 pp	Germany
Jelsum	6.8%	295	+0.3 pp	Indonesia
Hempens	5.8%	260	−1.4 pp	Indonesia
Alde Leie	8.9%	225	+0.4 pp	Germany
Baard	7.7%	195	+0.2 pp	Indonesia
Snakkerburen	2.6%	195	+0.1 pp	Germany
Feinsum	6.3%	160	+3.2 pp	Other Europe
Jellum	3.4%	145	±0.0 pp	Other Europe
Bears	7.7%	130	+0.3 pp	Germany
Húns	4.8%	105	−0.2 pp	Germany
Friens	0.0%	85	±0.0 pp	–
Idaerd	0.0%	80	−5.9 pp	–
Swichum	10.0%	50	+10.0 pp	–
Eagum	0.0%	40	±0.0 pp	–
Warstiens	0.0%	35	±0.0 pp	–
Miedum	0.0%	30	±0.0 pp	–
Leons	0.0%	25	±0.0 pp	–
Teerns	0.0%	15	±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	112,665	99,515	13,140	4,165	9,035	380	840	1,295	2,585	535	2,100	135	140	1,800	995	1,885	540	7,035	6,095
1999	112,995	99,355	13,625	4,195	9,435	410	880	1,340	2,550	600	2,080	155	130	1,830	1,020	2,120	520	7,055	6,530
2000	113,325	99,320	14,035	4,295	9,740	420	910	1,365	2,565	700	2,090	155	140	1,910	1,100	2,180	540	7,155	6,855
2001	114,290	99,545	14,740	4,355	10,440	430	910	1,345	2,540	765	2,045	155	170	1,990	1,320	2,510	625	7,280	7,470
2002	115,510	100,125	15,380	4,510	10,870	410	915	1,380	2,615	845	2,025	170	195	2,125	1,400	2,700	640	7,455	7,960
2003	116,355	100,320	16,010	4,520	11,515	455	945	1,440	2,585	925	2,095	155	170	2,120	1,580	2,970	640	7,475	8,560
2004	116,470	100,370	16,110	4,500	11,625	450	980	1,385	2,555	920	2,040	160	195	2,105	1,545	3,180	620	7,405	8,710
2005	116,825	100,660	16,155	4,475	11,705	425	990	1,350	2,605	970	2,055	195	185	2,050	1,525	3,190	665	7,385	8,745
2006	116,795	100,655	16,075	4,575	11,490	425	980	1,365	2,530	935	2,120	195	185	2,085	1,430	3,180	660	7,490	8,565
2007	117,185	100,895	16,290	4,745	11,500	445	995	1,380	2,520	930	2,260	210	220	2,075	1,375	3,175	715	7,630	8,650
2008	117,690	101,260	16,485	5,010	11,500	450	980	1,400	2,500	920	2,380	230	190	2,220	1,420	3,140	715	7,865	8,585
2009	118,270	101,330	16,940	5,345	11,535	465	1,000	1,400	2,455	955	2,545	245	215	2,365	1,455	3,120	715	8,195	8,745
2010	118,890	101,510	17,350	5,525	11,770	485	1,000	1,430	2,450	1,015	2,655	235	200	2,440	1,505	3,145	760	8,390	8,930
2011	119,545	101,540	17,945	5,915	12,070	475	995	1,425	2,425	1,045	2,880	265	215	2,555	1,580	3,320	830	8,735	9,215
2012	119,985	101,710	18,270	6,055	12,220	490	1,010	1,440	2,445	1,115	2,970	260	215	2,635	1,640	3,290	820	8,895	9,370
2013	120,710	102,135	18,575	6,180	12,350	495	1,025	1,450	2,400	1,175	2,865	295	235	2,800	1,675	3,330	835	9,030	9,515
2014	121,105	102,400	18,705	6,115	12,595	490	1,020	1,460	2,405	1,200	2,750	295	205	2,870	1,765	3,360	930	8,935	9,765
2015	121,375	102,625	18,750	6,060	12,705	500	1,030	1,440	2,385	1,220	2,545	310	190	3,015	1,770	3,430	955	8,880	9,880
2016	121,515	102,385	19,130	6,140	12,990	510	1,045	1,465	2,350	1,280	2,535	310	200	3,095	1,860	3,560	945	8,930	10,210
2017	122,205	102,375	19,830	6,185	13,635	525	1,060	1,475	2,340	1,345	2,490	315	220	3,170	2,075	3,830	1,005	8,985	10,835
2018	122,410	102,055	20,355	6,305	14,060	530	1,080	1,495	2,325	1,445	2,435	350	235	3,290	2,195	3,960	1,035	9,105	11,260
2019	123,105	102,090	21,015	6,500	14,510	535	1,110	1,500	2,270	1,530	2,415	375	230	3,485	2,325	4,200	1,060	9,235	11,760
2020	124,090	102,095	21,995	6,975	15,005	545	1,080	1,485	2,280	1,595	2,475	425	245	3,845	2,440	4,460	1,140	9,745	12,240
2021	124,485	102,135	22,350	6,985	15,360	545	1,130	1,485	2,250	1,650	2,450	420	240	3,875	2,550	4,575	1,195	9,735	12,620
2022	125,530	101,335	24,165	7,325	16,865	570	1,120	1,500	2,350	1,830	2,565	485	280	4,040	2,795	5,195	1,515	10,010	13,185
2023	127,070	101,305	25,795	8,120	17,655	655	1,140	1,485	2,305	1,920	2,475	515	245	4,875	2,960	5,635	1,575	10,825	13,940
2024	128,815	101,605	27,185	8,625	18,560	745	1,145	1,485	2,245	1,970	2,365	580	260	5,420	3,150	6,110	1,665	–	–
2025	129,965	101,375	28,580	9,105	19,475	815	1,130	1,510	2,205	2,040	2,275	625	275	5,935	3,360	6,575	1,770	–	–
2026	130,190	100,885	29,310	9,325	19,990	840	1,130	1,510	2,190	2,015	2,240	640	255	6,185	3,600	6,790	1,870	–	–

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