Municipality · Drenthe

Municipality of Meppel: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Meppel had 36,615 residents. 17.0% of them (6,225 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is higher than Drenthe (14.1%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (4.2%), other Asia (3.4%) and other Africa (1.8%). 61.8% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 3.4 percentage points.

Residents: 36,615 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 17.0% 6,225 people
Born abroad: 61.8% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +3.4 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

83% 17%

Dutch origin 83.0% 30,400
Migration background 17.0% 6,225

Largest origin groups

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

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

4.2% 1,555 people

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

3.4% 1,255 people

Drenthe 3.3% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.8% 670 people

Drenthe 1.4% Netherlands 2.3%
Morocco

1.8% 645 people

Drenthe 0.32% Netherlands 2.4%
Germany

1.4% 525 people

Drenthe 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Indonesia

1.4% 515 people

Drenthe 1.5% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

1.0% 350 people

Drenthe 0.81% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

0.59% 215 people

Drenthe 0.42% Netherlands 2.0%
Poland

0.46% 170 people

Drenthe 0.56% Netherlands 1.4%
Turkey

0.34% 125 people

Drenthe 0.52% Netherlands 2.6%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.31% 115 people

Drenthe 0.39% Netherlands 1.1%
Belgium

0.19% 70 people

Drenthe 0.18% Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

62% 38%

Born abroad (first generation) 61.8% 3,850
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 38.2% 2,375

Men and women

Men: 18,030
Women: 18,585

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Meppel 17.0%

Higher than 43% 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

17.0%

Municipality of Meppel
Drenthe
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Municipality of Meppel	Drenthe	Netherlands
1998	8.9%	7.8%	16.7%
1999	9.2%	8.0%	17.1%
2000	9.3%	8.1%	17.5%
2001	9.6%	8.4%	18.0%
2002	9.7%	8.7%	18.4%
2003	10.8%	8.8%	18.8%
2004	11.0%	8.7%	19.0%
2005	10.0%	8.6%	19.2%
2006	10.2%	8.5%	19.3%
2007	10.1%	8.6%	19.4%
2008	10.1%	8.6%	19.6%
2009	10.2%	8.7%	19.9%
2010	10.3%	8.9%	20.3%
2011	10.3%	9.0%	20.6%
2012	10.4%	9.0%	20.9%
2013	10.4%	9.1%	21.1%
2014	10.5%	9.2%	21.4%
2015	10.5%	9.3%	21.7%
2016	10.8%	9.5%	22.1%
2017	11.2%	10.2%	22.6%
2018	11.4%	10.2%	23.1%
2019	11.7%	10.3%	23.6%
2020	12.0%	10.5%	24.2%
2021	12.3%	10.6%	24.6%
2022	13.6%	11.6%	26.0%
2023	15.1%	12.5%	27.1%
2024	15.9%	13.1%	27.9%
2025	16.3%	13.7%	28.5%
2026	17.0%	14.1%	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 Meppel

				Largest group
Meppel	18.3%	32,290	+3.7 pp	Other Europe
Nijeveen	7.3%	4,040	+0.6 pp	Other Europe
Rogat	4.3%	115	+0.3 pp	–
Broekhuizen (Meppel)	4.8%	105	+0.4 pp	Other Americas & Oceania
De Schiphorst	7.7%	65	−6.6 pp	Other Asia

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	29,095	26,515	2,600	850	1,745	15	450	180	520	30	460	20	50	320	195	250	105	1,425	1,180
1999	29,395	26,695	2,695	860	1,840	30	470	180	505	45	470	15	45	330	205	310	95	1,430	1,270
2000	29,630	26,860	2,755	885	1,860	25	490	190	510	50	460	20	45	365	210	290	95	1,465	1,300
2001	30,010	27,115	2,890	920	1,970	20	505	200	530	50	465	25	50	380	220	330	120	1,500	1,375
2002	30,190	27,265	2,915	915	2,015	25	515	205	525	55	450	35	55	375	235	340	115	1,505	1,410
2003	30,555	27,240	3,310	995	2,305	25	530	195	510	60	460	30	50	455	420	435	130	1,570	1,730
2004	30,620	27,230	3,380	1,005	2,355	40	545	195	510	65	465	25	45	470	385	485	130	1,615	1,770
2005	30,355	27,330	3,045	975	2,050	25	585	195	505	65	455	35	45	440	220	335	120	1,535	1,485
2006	30,500	27,375	3,120	1,005	2,115	25	585	200	520	55	455	35	40	475	245	335	155	1,585	1,515
2007	31,040	27,920	3,120	1,020	2,100	30	575	185	520	50	455	35	60	470	265	325	155	1,615	1,515
2008	31,505	28,315	3,195	1,055	2,140	25	585	200	520	55	470	40	60	485	260	330	165	1,665	1,530
2009	32,005	28,730	3,265	1,075	2,200	25	600	190	530	70	470	50	50	510	290	330	165	1,695	1,580
2010	32,355	29,010	3,340	1,095	2,245	25	635	205	530	70	470	70	40	515	280	335	165	1,710	1,630
2011	32,485	29,160	3,330	1,095	2,235	20	625	200	525	70	485	45	45	525	310	330	155	1,700	1,635
2012	32,560	29,150	3,395	1,075	2,340	30	645	200	520	75	465	75	35	505	330	365	175	1,695	1,695
2013	32,730	29,320	3,395	1,085	2,310	35	645	190	535	75	455	80	35	520	295	365	175	1,720	1,680
2014	32,865	29,400	3,465	1,125	2,335	25	650	195	535	60	475	75	40	535	330	360	180	1,750	1,710
2015	32,800	29,350	3,450	1,110	2,330	30	630	195	520	70	465	65	40	540	335	375	175	1,730	1,720
2016	32,795	29,255	3,540	1,145	2,410	40	625	190	515	70	460	75	40	570	360	415	195	1,760	1,790
2017	33,025	29,340	3,685	1,185	2,510	30	640	200	510	80	475	80	30	605	380	490	180	1,785	1,905
2018	33,415	29,620	3,795	1,230	2,560	25	640	185	500	85	495	80	35	625	400	530	195	1,840	1,950
2019	33,565	29,645	3,920	1,270	2,645	30	635	190	510	80	505	95	35	640	415	590	195	1,890	2,025
2020	33,915	29,860	4,055	1,340	2,720	35	635	190	515	90	520	105	45	670	435	625	200	1,955	2,095
2021	34,390	30,160	4,230	1,390	2,835	40	635	190	525	95	540	115	45	700	445	690	220	2,035	2,195
2022	34,765	30,025	4,730	1,525	3,210	60	630	200	560	110	590	120	60	745	490	850	310	2,155	2,325
2023	35,460	30,115	5,365	1,890	3,460	95	635	205	550	115	585	150	55	1,085	560	990	310	2,505	2,600
2024	35,810	30,105	5,705	2,000	3,695	125	640	215	535	115	585	170	65	1,190	590	1,140	335	–	–
2025	36,270	30,355	5,925	2,180	3,740	120	640	210	530	115	565	170	70	1,385	615	1,180	335	–	–
2026	36,615	30,400	6,225	2,325	3,900	125	645	215	515	115	525	170	70	1,555	670	1,255	350	–	–

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