Municipality · Groningen

Municipality of Pekela: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Pekela had 12,580 residents. 14.3% of them (1,800 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than Groningen (20.7%) and lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (4.1%), Germany (2.8%) and other Asia (2.4%). 65.0% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 4.6 percentage points.

Residents: 12,580 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 14.3% 1,800 people
Born abroad: 65.0% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +4.6 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

86% 14%

Dutch origin 85.7% 10,780
Migration background 14.3% 1,800

Largest origin groups

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

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

4.1% 515 people

Groningen 4.9% Netherlands 5.6%
Germany

2.8% 355 people

Groningen 2.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

2.4% 300 people

Groningen 4.3% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.0% 130 people

Groningen 1.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Poland

0.91% 115 people

Groningen 0.55% Netherlands 1.4%
Turkey

0.72% 90 people

Groningen 1.0% Netherlands 2.6%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

0.68% 85 people

Groningen 1.3% Netherlands 1.1%
Indonesia

0.56% 70 people

Groningen 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.52% 65 people

Groningen 1.5% Netherlands 1.7%
Suriname

0.32% 40 people

Groningen 1.0% Netherlands 2.0%
Belgium

0.16% 20 people

Groningen 0.25% Netherlands 0.76%
Morocco

0.12% 15 people

Groningen 0.33% Netherlands 2.4%

First and second generation

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

65% 35%

Born abroad (first generation) 65.0% 1,170
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 35.3% 635

Men and women

Men: 6,290
Women: 6,285

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Pekela 14.3%

Higher than 28% 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

14.3%

Pekela
Groningen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Pekela	Groningen	Netherlands
1998	6.3%	10.3%	16.7%
1999	6.2%	10.6%	17.1%
2000	6.3%	10.9%	17.5%
2001	6.6%	11.4%	18.0%
2002	8.5%	11.9%	18.4%
2003	9.4%	12.2%	18.8%
2004	9.7%	12.3%	19.0%
2005	9.7%	12.3%	19.2%
2006	10.1%	12.3%	19.3%
2007	10.2%	12.3%	19.4%
2008	10.3%	12.4%	19.6%
2009	9.9%	12.6%	19.9%
2010	10.1%	12.9%	20.3%
2011	9.7%	13.3%	20.6%
2012	9.5%	13.5%	20.9%
2013	9.3%	13.7%	21.1%
2014	9.9%	14.0%	21.4%
2015	10.3%	14.3%	21.7%
2016	10.7%	14.7%	22.1%
2017	9.7%	15.0%	22.6%
2018	8.3%	15.4%	23.1%
2019	8.6%	16.0%	23.6%
2020	9.0%	16.5%	24.2%
2021	9.0%	16.8%	24.6%
2022	9.7%	18.2%	26.0%
2023	11.9%	19.3%	27.1%
2024	13.2%	19.9%	27.9%
2025	13.4%	20.5%	28.5%
2026	14.3%	20.7%	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 Pekela

				Largest group
Oude Pekela	15.4%	7,845	+5.3 pp	Other Europe
Nieuwe Pekela	12.6%	4,735	+3.4 pp	Other Europe

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	13,215	12,385	835	565	275	45	0	40	65	10	425	25	10	105	30	50	35	645	190
1999	13,260	12,440	825	575	255	45	5	45	60	0	430	25	15	105	15	65	20	650	180
2000	13,390	12,545	850	565	285	45	5	35	80	10	435	35	10	85	15	70	25	665	185
2001	13,335	12,465	875	595	285	35	0	40	75	15	435	25	10	125	20	75	25	685	185
2002	13,580	12,425	1,160	635	520	40	5	45	75	15	430	35	10	160	100	210	30	730	425
2003	13,560	12,300	1,270	665	595	45	0	45	65	25	425	30	15	195	140	245	30	755	515
2004	13,465	12,165	1,300	705	600	45	5	50	75	20	430	35	15	225	125	250	30	805	505
2005	13,430	12,120	1,300	715	590	50	0	45	80	15	430	40	20	225	135	230	35	815	490
2006	13,375	12,020	1,355	765	575	50	0	45	75	10	430	50	20	265	150	220	25	860	500
2007	13,285	11,920	1,360	760	600	50	0	45	70	5	430	50	20	260	170	220	40	845	515
2008	13,245	11,875	1,370	725	640	65	5	45	70	5	420	55	20	230	185	220	45	820	555
2009	13,130	11,825	1,305	700	595	55	0	40	70	10	415	75	20	190	155	230	35	790	510
2010	13,055	11,725	1,325	715	620	50	0	40	60	10	410	70	20	215	190	230	40	795	535
2011	12,955	11,700	1,255	710	550	40	0	45	65	10	395	70	20	225	155	200	35	790	460
2012	12,865	11,645	1,225	720	510	35	5	45	65	15	410	70	15	225	135	170	40	800	425
2013	12,805	11,615	1,185	695	495	35	5	35	60	10	390	70	25	210	130	170	50	770	425
2014	12,705	11,450	1,255	690	565	40	0	50	60	15	385	75	25	205	175	190	35	765	495
2015	12,680	11,370	1,310	670	640	35	0	45	60	20	370	75	25	200	245	195	40	745	565
2016	12,640	11,285	1,355	660	695	45	5	40	65	20	385	80	20	175	275	210	35	745	615
2017	12,520	11,300	1,220	655	560	40	10	35	65	15	370	75	25	185	135	225	35	725	490
2018	12,250	11,230	1,020	620	395	40	5	35	60	25	360	75	25	160	70	125	35	690	320
2019	12,215	11,165	1,050	625	425	35	0	40	55	40	365	80	25	155	80	140	35	700	350
2020	12,195	11,095	1,100	645	460	40	5	40	60	45	365	85	20	175	90	135	45	725	380
2021	12,175	11,085	1,090	615	470	35	5	40	60	60	350	75	20	170	95	120	55	695	390
2022	12,195	11,015	1,185	630	555	50	5	40	70	55	355	80	25	170	100	170	65	690	430
2023	12,405	10,940	1,470	855	610	45	20	35	70	70	355	90	20	390	130	190	60	920	490
2024	12,515	10,870	1,650	1,025	630	55	10	35	65	70	360	90	25	545	130	195	60	–	–
2025	12,460	10,785	1,670	1,005	670	70	10	45	65	75	355	100	20	530	130	210	65	–	–
2026	12,580	10,780	1,800	1,000	800	90	15	40	70	85	355	115	20	515	130	300	65	–	–

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