Province

Groningen: Migration background and origin

On 1 January 2026, the province of Groningen had 601,290 residents. 20.7% of them (124,315 people) have a migration background: they were born abroad or have at least one parent who was. That is lower than the national average (29.1%). The largest origin groups are other Europe (4.9%), other Asia (4.3%) and Germany (2.1%). 63.0% of residents with a migration background were born abroad themselves. Since 2022 the share has risen by 2.5 percentage points.

Residents: 601,290 on 1 January 2026
Migration background: 20.7% 124,315 people
Born abroad: 63.0% of those with a migration background
Change since 2022: +2.5 pp in share with a migration background

Migration background, share of residents

Share of residents with a migration background per municipality.

Where residents come from

Origin of residents on 1 January 2026, as a share of all residents.

Dutch origin and migration background

79% 21%

Dutch origin 79.3% 476,985
Migration background 20.7% 124,315

Largest origin groups

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

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

4.9% 29,195 people

Netherlands 5.6%
Other Asia Asia excluding Indonesia and Turkey

4.3% 25,635 people

Netherlands 5.3%
Germany

2.1% 12,760 people

Netherlands 1.9%
Other Africa Africa excluding Morocco

1.8% 10,930 people

Netherlands 2.3%
Indonesia

1.6% 9,920 people

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

1.5% 8,765 people

Netherlands 1.7%
Dutch Caribbean Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

1.3% 7,630 people

Netherlands 1.1%
Suriname

1.0% 6,260 people

Netherlands 2.0%
Turkey

1.0% 6,150 people

Netherlands 2.6%
Poland

0.55% 3,295 people

Netherlands 1.4%
Morocco

0.33% 1,975 people

Netherlands 2.4%
Belgium

0.25% 1,530 people

Netherlands 0.76%

First and second generation

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

63% 37%

Born abroad (first generation) 63.0% 78,265
Born in the Netherlands (second generation) 37.0% 46,040

Men and women

Men: 300,620
Women: 300,605

Trend since 1998

Share of residents with a migration background, compared with larger areas.

Show

Measure % Residents

New CBS classification

20.7%

Groningen
Netherlands

Show as table

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

Municipalities in Groningen

				Largest group
Municipality of Groningen	30.0%	244,430	+3.1 pp	Other Europe
Westerkwartier	9.9%	65,065	+1.5 pp	Other Asia
Midden-Groningen	18.6%	61,350	+2.6 pp	Other Europe
Het Hogeland	11.0%	48,075	+2.0 pp	Other Asia
Eemsdelta	18.9%	44,840	+2.1 pp	Other Asia
Oldambt	15.0%	39,750	+2.8 pp	Germany
Municipality of Stadskanaal	12.0%	32,110	+2.4 pp	Other Asia
Municipality of Veendam	16.0%	27,825	+1.9 pp	Turkey
Westerwolde	13.0%	25,265	−3.3 pp	Germany
Pekela	14.3%	12,580	+4.6 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	557,490	499,830	57,595	22,290	35,400	3,855	1,075	5,790	11,045	3,135	12,805	845	830	7,860	3,065	5,095	2,445	34,710	22,920
1999	559,430	499,870	59,475	22,790	36,595	3,835	1,130	5,840	11,095	3,430	12,845	865	875	8,235	3,020	5,805	2,615	35,340	24,195
2000	562,170	500,915	61,175	23,440	37,770	3,900	1,180	5,925	11,040	3,700	12,835	950	870	8,840	3,220	6,185	2,720	35,965	25,285
2001	566,420	502,045	64,320	24,640	39,770	3,980	1,200	6,010	10,970	4,125	12,940	1,005	945	9,800	3,825	6,940	2,795	37,095	27,270
2002	570,405	502,605	67,745	25,305	42,290	4,190	1,295	6,000	10,990	4,415	12,900	1,090	915	10,450	4,765	7,840	2,890	37,895	29,780
2003	572,880	502,980	69,885	25,810	44,145	4,290	1,345	6,065	10,965	4,560	12,815	1,100	930	11,015	5,590	8,390	3,080	38,370	31,535
2004	574,310	503,895	70,440	26,080	44,360	4,350	1,370	6,145	10,980	4,655	12,830	1,210	1,000	11,085	5,510	8,305	3,170	38,620	31,815
2005	574,950	504,135	70,865	26,680	44,205	4,385	1,430	6,115	10,970	4,560	12,930	1,265	950	11,565	5,255	8,240	3,355	39,185	31,610
2006	573,915	503,270	70,610	26,755	43,760	4,440	1,475	6,160	10,800	4,450	12,915	1,405	995	11,460	4,955	8,255	3,370	39,320	31,430
2007	573,505	503,075	70,440	26,815	43,685	4,505	1,520	6,115	10,710	4,455	12,850	1,480	1,045	11,480	4,745	8,225	3,550	39,240	31,225
2008	573,355	502,515	70,840	26,865	44,100	4,610	1,480	6,055	10,665	4,515	12,865	1,595	1,030	11,415	4,755	8,420	3,695	39,230	31,640
2009	574,070	501,775	72,145	27,590	44,615	4,655	1,515	6,160	10,555	4,670	13,280	1,635	1,000	11,700	4,740	8,695	3,750	39,870	32,265
2010	576,625	502,365	74,200	28,410	45,860	4,705	1,555	6,140	10,455	4,875	13,580	1,710	1,040	12,125	5,150	9,120	3,970	40,710	33,450
2011	579,020	502,250	76,725	29,550	47,075	4,875	1,605	6,190	10,440	4,980	13,830	1,835	1,140	12,770	5,350	9,575	4,175	41,950	34,720
2012	580,770	502,250	78,475	30,650	47,740	4,805	1,645	6,250	10,435	5,060	14,200	1,990	1,080	13,430	5,575	9,735	4,355	43,110	35,390
2013	581,675	501,710	79,930	31,620	48,320	4,770	1,650	6,290	10,360	5,245	14,300	2,150	1,135	14,090	5,655	10,065	4,440	43,995	35,895
2014	582,680	500,880	81,800	32,265	49,520	4,745	1,755	6,270	10,215	5,300	14,340	2,195	1,130	14,630	5,995	10,655	4,700	44,655	37,135
2015	583,870	500,100	83,770	32,355	51,420	4,740	1,760	6,260	10,185	5,405	14,125	2,150	1,130	14,975	6,620	11,615	4,980	44,815	38,965
2016	583,665	498,090	85,575	32,590	52,990	4,650	1,785	6,230	10,125	5,530	13,905	2,180	1,125	15,405	7,090	12,550	5,130	45,010	40,575
2017	583,580	495,915	87,665	33,485	54,170	4,715	1,790	6,255	10,020	5,625	13,700	2,210	1,155	16,450	6,990	13,635	5,230	45,870	41,790
2018	582,925	493,045	89,880	34,130	55,730	4,775	1,820	6,245	9,950	5,785	13,515	2,255	1,180	17,210	7,165	14,740	5,360	46,465	43,410
2019	583,980	490,675	93,305	35,570	57,755	4,830	1,850	6,225	9,880	5,945	13,660	2,315	1,200	18,420	7,835	15,655	5,660	47,920	45,390
2020	585,840	489,120	96,720	36,900	59,855	5,025	1,850	6,235	9,785	6,210	13,620	2,415	1,205	19,690	8,395	16,490	5,975	49,250	47,500
2021	586,920	488,160	98,760	37,715	61,045	5,005	1,860	6,220	9,615	6,545	13,620	2,585	1,250	20,280	8,785	17,005	6,125	49,950	48,835
2022	590,125	482,605	107,430	39,645	67,895	5,285	1,875	6,285	10,090	7,025	13,935	2,740	1,405	21,410	9,520	20,460	7,435	51,730	51,500
2023	596,080	480,935	115,155	44,240	70,860	5,630	1,940	6,280	10,140	7,270	13,815	3,040	1,410	25,980	9,885	21,975	7,760	56,660	54,240
2024	601,300	481,565	119,760	46,160	73,670	5,860	1,960	6,285	10,105	7,500	13,575	3,155	1,475	27,815	10,295	23,370	8,195	–	–
2025	602,815	479,185	123,615	46,625	77,010	6,070	1,960	6,295	9,955	7,595	13,140	3,200	1,505	28,730	10,885	25,660	8,385	–	–
2026	601,290	476,985	124,315	46,910	77,430	6,150	1,975	6,260	9,920	7,630	12,760	3,295	1,530	29,195	10,930	25,635	8,765	–	–

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