Municipality · Groningen

Municipality of Westerkwartier: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the municipality of Westerkwartier had 65,065 residents. 9.9% of them (6,465 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 Asia (2.2%), other Europe (2.2%) and Indonesia (1.1%). 56.7% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 1.5 percentage points.

Residents: 65,065 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 9.9% 6,465 people
Born abroad: 56.7% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +1.5 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

90%

Dutch origin 90.1% 58,610
Migration background 9.9% 6,465

Largest origin groups

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

Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

2.2% 1,460 people

Groningen 4.3% Netherlands 5.3%
Other Europe Europe excluding the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Poland

2.2% 1,410 people

Groningen 4.9% Netherlands 5.6%
Indonesia

1.1% 720 people

Groningen 1.6% Netherlands 1.9%
Germany

1.1% 705 people

Groningen 2.1% Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

0.89% 580 people

Groningen 1.8% Netherlands 2.3%
Other Americas & Oceania Americas and Oceania excluding Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean

0.74% 480 people

Groningen 1.5% Netherlands 1.7%
Poland

0.43% 280 people

Groningen 0.55% Netherlands 1.4%
Suriname

0.39% 255 people

Groningen 1.0% Netherlands 2.0%
Turkey

0.29% 190 people

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

0.27% 175 people

Groningen 1.3% Netherlands 1.1%
Belgium

0.15% 100 people

Groningen 0.25% Netherlands 0.76%
Morocco

0.06% 40 people

Groningen 0.33% Netherlands 2.4%

First and second generation

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

57% 43%

Born abroad (first generation) 56.7% 3,665
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 43.5% 2,810

Men and women

Men: 32,715
Women: 32,335

Compared with all municipalities

Netherlands 29.1% Westerkwartier 9.9%

Higher than 7% 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

9.9%

Westerkwartier
Groningen
Netherlands

Show as table

Year	Westerkwartier	Groningen	Netherlands
1998	5.0%	10.3%	16.7%
1999	5.1%	10.6%	17.1%
2000	5.1%	10.9%	17.5%
2001	5.5%	11.4%	18.0%
2002	6.7%	11.9%	18.4%
2003	7.0%	12.2%	18.8%
2004	6.7%	12.3%	19.0%
2005	6.2%	12.3%	19.2%
2006	5.5%	12.3%	19.3%
2007	5.5%	12.3%	19.4%
2008	5.8%	12.4%	19.6%
2009	5.8%	12.6%	19.9%
2010	5.9%	12.9%	20.3%
2011	6.0%	13.3%	20.6%
2012	6.3%	13.5%	20.9%
2013	6.5%	13.7%	21.1%
2014	6.6%	14.0%	21.4%
2015	6.5%	14.3%	21.7%
2016	6.6%	14.7%	22.1%
2017	6.9%	15.0%	22.6%
2018	7.1%	15.4%	23.1%
2019	7.2%	16.0%	23.6%
2020	7.3%	16.5%	24.2%
2021	7.5%	16.8%	24.6%
2022	8.4%	18.2%	26.0%
2023	9.1%	19.3%	27.1%
2024	9.4%	19.9%	27.9%
2025	9.6%	20.5%	28.5%
2026	9.9%	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 Westerkwartier

				Largest group
Leek	13.8%	12,170	+1.8 pp	Other Asia
Zuidhorn	12.1%	8,455	+2.1 pp	Other Europe
Marum	11.4%	6,065	+2.0 pp	Other Europe
Tolbert	12.1%	4,420	+2.2 pp	Other Asia
Grootegast	7.5%	3,550	+1.0 pp	Other Asia
Zevenhuizen (Westerkwartier)	5.1%	2,750	+0.8 pp	Other Europe
Grijpskerk	10.6%	2,740	+2.1 pp	Other Asia
Opende	6.2%	2,595	+0.1 pp	Other Europe
Aduard	12.8%	2,220	+1.2 pp	Other Asia
De Wilp	7.3%	1,705	+1.4 pp	Other Asia
Niekerk (Westerkwartier)	5.8%	1,550	+0.4 pp	Other Asia
Oldehove	6.9%	1,450	−2.0 pp	Other Europe
Noordhorn	8.8%	1,425	+2.3 pp	Other Asia
Oldekerk	3.6%	1,380	+0.3 pp	Other Asia
Doezum	4.9%	1,130	+0.5 pp	Other Asia
Lutjegast	4.7%	960	+0.4 pp	Other Europe
Ezinge	10.0%	750	+0.5 pp	Indonesia
Nuis	4.3%	705	+0.8 pp	Indonesia
Oostwold (Westerkwartier)	11.7%	685	+2.3 pp	Indonesia
Sebaldeburen	7.4%	675	+5.9 pp	Other Europe
Niebert	6.1%	660	−0.1 pp	Germany
Boerakker	4.7%	645	−0.7 pp	Indonesia
Kornhorn	7.2%	625	+1.7 pp	Other Europe
Kommerzijl	6.4%	545	−1.6 pp	Other Europe
Niezijl	11.8%	465	+4.1 pp	Indonesia
Briltil	9.9%	455	+0.9 pp	Other Europe
Noordwijk (Westerkwartier)	6.7%	450	+0.3 pp	Poland
Midwolde	22.1%	430	+15.1 pp	Other Europe
Garnwerd	11.8%	425	+1.5 pp	Germany
Den Horn	7.3%	410	−0.1 pp	Other Europe
Enumatil	1.6%	320	−4.3 pp	Other Europe
Feerwerd	4.8%	310	+0.2 pp	Indonesia
Visvliet	8.2%	305	+1.8 pp	Other Asia
Jonkersvaart	5.5%	275	+3.5 pp	Suriname
Den Ham (Westerkwartier)	1.9%	270	+0.1 pp	Other Europe
Niehove	6.0%	250	−0.1 pp	Germany
Pieterzijl	4.3%	230	+2.3 pp	Other Asia
Lucaswolde	5.3%	190	−2.4 pp	Other Africa
Lauwerzijl	5.6%	180	+0.4 pp	Germany
Lettelbert	6.9%	145	−4.2 pp	Dutch Caribbean
Saaksum	5.0%	100	±0.0 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	59,335	56,340	2,960	1,350	1,645	40	10	190	780	45	720	35	50	570	170	200	230	2,255	740
1999	59,555	56,525	3,035	1,335	1,660	50	20	180	760	65	705	35	60	545	125	255	240	2,265	790
2000	60,040	56,875	3,090	1,380	1,740	60	15	185	755	55	720	55	45	580	145	305	250	2,320	835
2001	60,650	57,255	3,365	1,515	1,930	70	10	195	755	70	730	60	65	675	215	355	290	2,400	1,010
2002	61,575	57,465	4,120	1,680	2,405	110	10	210	745	75	710	55	60	885	440	595	240	2,580	1,530
2003	61,670	57,390	4,305	1,670	2,635	135	10	210	745	75	720	65	55	845	520	730	240	2,600	1,690
2004	61,605	57,475	4,120	1,645	2,475	110	15	215	740	75	715	70	55	810	460	610	265	2,555	1,570
2005	61,580	57,730	3,820	1,580	2,280	100	10	200	735	65	715	55	60	755	360	525	320	2,470	1,355
2006	61,250	57,830	3,350	1,475	1,905	75	15	210	720	65	710	75	90	610	165	370	310	2,410	1,000
2007	61,480	58,060	3,405	1,520	1,895	85	25	200	720	70	690	75	95	660	160	375	290	2,395	1,015
2008	61,650	58,110	3,545	1,580	2,040	90	20	205	745	75	715	135	85	650	185	395	340	2,490	1,080
2009	62,055	58,430	3,590	1,625	1,985	80	20	220	755	75	700	145	70	715	175	390	305	2,525	1,085
2010	62,225	58,555	3,655	1,630	2,030	70	25	220	735	80	665	145	90	745	220	415	295	2,540	1,125
2011	62,330	58,530	3,765	1,650	2,070	80	25	215	750	90	685	165	90	720	230	415	295	2,575	1,170
2012	62,505	58,575	3,935	1,840	2,070	65	15	215	740	100	670	285	70	825	250	405	300	2,720	1,220
2013	62,555	58,550	4,040	1,905	2,160	85	15	220	745	95	720	345	90	765	265	440	325	2,815	1,210
2014	62,535	58,425	4,110	1,910	2,200	85	20	220	735	95	700	345	80	800	255	515	300	2,830	1,275
2015	62,235	58,165	4,070	1,835	2,240	95	25	210	735	100	680	290	80	795	270	525	315	2,750	1,325
2016	62,355	58,210	4,145	1,805	2,350	90	15	215	735	95	675	260	85	790	315	590	315	2,720	1,430
2017	62,645	58,350	4,295	1,825	2,470	85	35	220	725	75	690	245	85	805	355	675	325	2,725	1,580
2018	62,795	58,365	4,430	1,790	2,650	90	35	205	725	100	680	250	75	785	400	795	330	2,685	1,740
2019	63,035	58,490	4,545	1,800	2,755	90	35	215	730	100	670	245	75	815	440	835	345	2,705	1,845
2020	63,320	58,675	4,645	1,815	2,840	95	35	215	735	115	680	235	85	820	480	840	345	2,725	1,930
2021	63,670	58,895	4,775	1,835	2,945	110	35	225	740	125	685	240	75	840	500	900	350	2,750	2,030
2022	64,340	58,905	5,425	1,960	3,450	130	40	245	775	155	715	250	100	870	540	1,100	480	2,835	2,190
2023	64,930	59,030	5,920	2,330	3,605	170	45	280	750	170	730	285	105	1,200	580	1,135	430	3,185	2,375
2024	64,900	58,750	6,130	2,495	3,655	165	45	255	740	175	735	275	80	1,355	575	1,200	440	–	–
2025	64,835	58,605	6,215	2,420	3,790	175	40	260	730	185	725	275	85	1,335	560	1,320	460	–	–
2026	65,065	58,610	6,465	2,510	3,970	190	40	255	720	175	705	280	100	1,410	580	1,460	480	–	–

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