Municipality · Limburg

Municipality of Meerssen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Meerssen had 18,460 residents. 16.2% of them (2,995 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than Limburg (26.6%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (3.7%), Germany (2.6%) and other Asia (2.6%). 53.1% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.1 percentage points.

Residents: 18,460 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 16.2% 2,995 people
Born abroad: 53.1% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.1 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

84% 16%

Dutch origin 83.7% 15,455
Migration background 16.2% 2,995

Largest origin groups

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

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

3.7% 680 people

Limburg 5.5% Netherlands 5.6%
Germany

2.6% 485 people

Limburg 5.4% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

2.6% 475 people

Limburg 4.1% Netherlands 5.3%
Belgium

2.5% 460 people

Limburg 1.7% Netherlands 0.76%
Indonesia

1.5% 275 people

Limburg 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.1% 200 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.3%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.1% 195 people

Limburg 1.1% Netherlands 1.7%
Poland

0.46% 85 people

Limburg 1.9% Netherlands 1.4%
Morocco

0.24% 45 people

Limburg 1.5% Netherlands 2.4%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.24% 45 people

Limburg 0.64% Netherlands 1.1%
Turkey

0.16% 30 people

Limburg 1.3% Netherlands 2.6%
Suriname

0.08% 15 people

Limburg 0.33% Netherlands 2.0%

First and second generation

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

53% 47%

Born abroad (first generation) 53.1% 1,590
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 47.1% 1,410

Men and women

Men: 9,095
Women: 9,370

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Meerssen 16.2%

Higher than 39% 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

16.2%

Municipality of Meerssen
Limburg
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Meerssen	Limburg	Netherlands
1998	10.7%	19.1%	16.7%
1999	10.8%	19.2%	17.1%
2000	10.7%	19.3%	17.5%
2001	10.7%	19.4%	18.0%
2002	10.8%	19.6%	18.4%
2003	10.9%	19.6%	18.8%
2004	11.1%	19.7%	19.0%
2005	11.0%	19.6%	19.2%
2006	11.1%	19.6%	19.3%
2007	11.0%	19.5%	19.4%
2008	11.2%	19.6%	19.6%
2009	11.3%	19.7%	19.9%
2010	11.3%	19.8%	20.3%
2011	11.5%	20.0%	20.6%
2012	11.8%	20.3%	20.9%
2013	11.9%	20.5%	21.1%
2014	11.7%	20.7%	21.4%
2015	11.8%	20.9%	21.7%
2016	12.0%	21.1%	22.1%
2017	12.2%	21.5%	22.6%
2018	12.5%	21.8%	23.1%
2019	12.6%	22.1%	23.6%
2020	12.9%	22.5%	24.2%
2021	13.2%	22.7%	24.6%
2022	14.2%	23.8%	26.0%
2023	15.0%	24.7%	27.1%
2024	15.6%	25.4%	27.9%
2025	15.9%	26.0%	28.5%
2026	16.2%	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 Meerssen

				Largest group
Meerssen	19.8%	7,410	+3.1 pp	Other Europe
Bunde	14.6%	5,425	+1.6 pp	Germany
Ulestraten	14.7%	2,795	+1.5 pp	Other Europe
Geulle	11.8%	2,505	+1.4 pp	Germany
Moorveld	9.2%	325	−3.1 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	20,480	18,295	2,185	1,495	705	20	30	10	355	20	665	10	525	295	50	140	80	1,900	280
1999	20,315	18,110	2,185	1,480	715	20	30	5	355	20	650	25	515	295	45	165	80	1,890	295
2000	20,270	18,095	2,170	1,420	755	25	30	5	355	30	640	15	490	275	60	170	80	1,845	340
2001	20,240	18,065	2,170	1,425	765	25	40	10	345	25	625	15	470	315	55	180	85	1,835	355
2002	20,225	18,035	2,190	1,415	765	20	35	5	335	25	610	25	470	310	75	185	85	1,795	385
2003	20,045	17,855	2,180	1,405	790	30	25	20	330	25	600	30	455	320	85	210	70	1,790	400
2004	19,980	17,775	2,210	1,405	795	30	30	10	340	25	580	20	450	355	85	205	70	1,795	415
2005	19,860	17,670	2,180	1,385	790	30	35	5	330	25	575	20	460	330	85	205	75	1,765	425
2006	19,760	17,575	2,200	1,380	820	30	35	5	335	30	590	20	455	315	95	205	85	1,765	425
2007	19,740	17,570	2,175	1,390	775	25	40	5	315	35	585	20	450	335	80	200	80	1,765	420
2008	19,750	17,535	2,205	1,400	805	30	35	10	330	35	580	25	455	340	100	185	80	1,795	425
2009	19,695	17,460	2,230	1,435	820	25	40	10	320	30	575	30	460	370	105	185	105	1,810	435
2010	19,565	17,360	2,205	1,410	795	25	35	10	320	40	565	40	435	370	110	165	95	1,770	425
2011	19,485	17,250	2,250	1,435	825	35	40	10	320	35	580	45	420	390	115	170	100	1,815	430
2012	19,425	17,130	2,300	1,475	820	30	40	5	320	40	575	60	415	425	120	165	100	1,850	445
2013	19,360	17,070	2,295	1,465	820	25	35	15	330	40	565	45	410	445	120	165	90	1,845	440
2014	19,255	17,000	2,255	1,450	805	35	35	10	315	35	575	55	420	400	135	155	85	1,825	430
2015	19,060	16,820	2,240	1,435	805	40	35	5	310	30	555	55	425	400	135	160	90	1,790	450
2016	19,040	16,755	2,285	1,455	835	30	35	10	305	30	545	55	430	425	150	185	90	1,800	485
2017	19,070	16,735	2,335	1,480	860	30	30	15	295	40	545	60	440	435	155	230	65	1,825	515
2018	19,035	16,660	2,375	1,475	905	25	35	10	295	40	535	60	430	450	155	250	95	1,825	555
2019	18,920	16,530	2,390	1,485	920	25	35	15	280	35	525	55	430	475	160	265	105	1,820	575
2020	18,825	16,400	2,425	1,475	950	30	40	15	280	40	505	65	430	475	140	305	100	1,810	625
2021	18,660	16,190	2,470	1,505	965	25	35	15	275	45	515	65	435	490	145	310	115	1,830	640
2022	18,585	15,940	2,630	1,540	1,090	20	30	10	295	45	505	70	460	500	165	360	155	1,835	670
2023	18,600	15,795	2,790	1,655	1,135	25	35	10	295	45	505	65	465	610	190	370	155	1,945	720
2024	18,575	15,675	2,895	1,710	1,190	30	35	10	280	50	495	80	475	645	195	415	170	–	–
2025	18,460	15,525	2,935	1,690	1,245	30	30	15	280	50	485	80	465	660	200	455	175	–	–
2026	18,460	15,455	2,995	1,720	1,285	30	45	15	275	45	485	85	460	680	200	475	195	–	–

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