This statistic displays the number of people from the twenty largest immigrant groups in the Netherlands as of 2023. At this time, Poles were the largest group of foreign-born residents in the Netherlands with approximately 186,800 people.

Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data was reported at 11.696 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 11.018 % for 2010. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 10.211 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.696 % in 2015 and a record low of 7.927 % in 1990. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2008 Revision.; Weighted average;

Of the 17.81 million people living in the Netherlands in 2023, roughly 4.83 million people had a migration background, defined as first or second generation migrants. Of the non-Western population, the majority of the inhabitants had a Turkish background, as can be seen in this statistic on the background of the non-Western population in the Netherlands. The second-largest group is formed by the population with a Moroccan background.

In 2022, the largest foreign group of immigrants to the Netherlands came from Ukraine, with 99,700 immigrants. Polish, Dutch, Syrian and Turkish rounded out the top five foreign nationalities for immigrants to the Netherlands in that year.

Immigration and emigration in the Netherlands and the administrative corrections by country of birth, sex, age and marital status. CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification by origin is being introduced gradually in tables and publications on population by origin. Data available from: 2020 Status of the figures: All data recorded in this publication are final data. Changes as from 3 June 2024: Final figures of 2023 have been added. Changes as from 8 March 2024: None, this is a new table. This table succeeds the table External migration; sex, age, marital status and country of birth; 1995-2022. See section 3. The following changes have been implemented compared to the discontinued table: - The countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey have been assigned to the continent of Asia (previously Europe); - Relative to the discontinued table, minor differences may occur. The differences are due to a change in the production process. When will new figures be published? The final figures of 2024 will be added in the third quarter of 2025 in this publication.

Netherlands - Foreign-born population was 2914939.00 in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Netherlands - Foreign-born population - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Netherlands - Foreign-born population reached a record high of 2914939.00 in December of 2024 and a record low of 1832510.00 in December of 2010.

In 2022, the province most inhabited by first generation migrants in the Netherlands is South Holland (which includes cities such as The Hague and Rotterdam) housing over 717,000 first generation migrants. North Holland (which includes the city of Amsterdam), has the second most migrants living in its province with 576,000. The province which houses the least first generation migrants is Drenthe at 26,000 first generation immigrants.

Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: Total data was reported at 1,979,486.000 Person in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,832,510.000 Person for 2010. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 971,842.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2015, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,979,486.000 Person in 2015 and a record low of 261,402.000 Person in 1970. Netherlands NL: International Migrant Stock: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.; ; United Nations Population Division, Trends in Total Migrant Stock: 2012 Revision.; Sum;

Netherlands NL: Net Migration data was reported at 80,000.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 62,687.000 Person for 2012. Netherlands NL: Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging 109,874.000 Person from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 186,745.000 Person in 1972 and a record low of 11,589.000 Person in 1962. Netherlands NL: Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the total number of immigrants less the annual number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens. Data are five-year estimates.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum;

Population growth in The Netherlands by birth, death and migration by sex and region.

In addition to national data, information is presented by group of provinces, province, COROP region and municipality.

The regional totals shown concern cumulated municipal data. Where changes of municipal boundaries transect regional boundaries, the municipal classifications concerns the most recent situation. The municipality of Vianen, for example, was annexed by the province of Utrecht on 1 January 2002, and is classified under the province of Utrecht in the Table.

Data available from: 1942

Status of the figures: All data recorded in this publication are final data. Up to 1977 data may differ from other published data on StatLine. This is due to differences between the data files used by Statistics Netherlands and the official data as published in 'Loop van de bevolking per gemeente'.

Changes as of 25 June 2024: Final figures of 2023 have been added.

When will new figures be published? In the 3rd quarter of 2025 figures of 2024 will be added in this table.

In 2023 the foreign-born population of the Netherlands was 2.77 million people, compared with 2.55 million people in the previous year, and 1.9 million people ten years earlier in 2013.

Sint Maarten (Dutch part) immigration statistics for 2015 was 27,295, a 4.18% increase from 2010.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Sint Maarten (Dutch part) immigration statistics for 2010 was <strong>26,200</strong>, a <strong>100% increase</strong> from 2005.</li>
<li>Sint Maarten (Dutch part) immigration statistics for 2005 was <strong>13,100</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
<li>Sint Maarten (Dutch part) immigration statistics for was <strong>0.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
</ul>International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.

This table concerns jobs of foreign-born employees within the age range of 18 up to 74 years. A distinction is made between employees who are registered as a resident in the Dutch population register (BRP; formerly known as the GBA) and those not registered as a resident in the BRP. Furthermore, the table can be broken down into origin background, gender, age, hourly wage class, employment contract type, and the Dutch standard industrial classification (SBI 2008). All employees registered as resident were at least 18 years old when they immigrated to the Netherlands. Likewise, the non-resident employees were at least 18 years old at the start of their stay in the Netherlands.

The variable ‘country of origin’ is included as a background variable. Because the target population consists of both resident and non-resident employees, it is not always possible to directly derive the origin background. Missing data in this respect are imputed using information on someone’s country of permanent residence or someone’s nationality.

Data available from: 2010.

Status of the figures: Data from 2010 up to and including 2023 are final.

Changes as of 28 March 2025: The figures for 2023 are adjusted. The method for determining the population has been improved for the reference period 2023. This means that approximately 1% of the total number of jobs held by foreign-born employees are now included.

When will new figures be published? New figures for 2024 will be published in the fourth quarter of 2025.

This table contains projections (2014-2060) of the immigrant population in the Netherlands, the number of live births of the second generation, the foreign migration of first-generation allochtons and the number of deceased first- and second-generation allochtons in the Netherlands. All figures are also broken down by origin grouping (Western and non-Western).

Data available: 2014-2060

Status of the figures: The figures in this table are forecast figures calculated.

Changes as of 20 June 2018: The terms autochtoon and immigrant have been revised. Instead, CBS is now talking about people with a Dutch background or a migration background. Therefore, the names have been adapted in this table. The underlying encodings of the classifications used in this table have been adjusted. These are now in line with the standard coding established by CBS. The structure and data of the table have not been modified.

Changes as of 19 December 2017: This table has been discontinued. See paragraph 3 for the successor to this table.

Changes as of 18 December 2014: In this new table, the previous forecast has been revised on the basis of the latest insights, the forecast period now runs from 2014 to 2060.

When are new figures coming? In December 2017, the new forecast figures will be published in a new table.

From 2008 onwards, the migration balance in the Netherlands was positive, meaning that more people settled in the Netherlands than leaving for newer pastures. In 2022, the migration balance was 223,800. In 2022, the number of people in the Netherlands with a migration background (defined as someone who has at least one parent born abroad) was over 4.4 million.

 Regions of origin 

In 2020, the largest group of immigrants in the Netherlands came from other European countries, followed by migrants from Asian countries and the Americas. Over 1.4 million immigrants in the Netherlands were either born in another European country themselves or had a parent coming from here one. The Polish were especially well-represented, with over 25,000 immigrants in 2020.  

Attitudes towards immigration  

In a 2017 survey, respondents were asked how they feel about immigration from other EU countries. 70 percent stated to be fairly or very positive about this. By comparison, only five percent of the respondents answered to feel very negative about EU migration. Respondents were less positive about migration from non-EU countries, but the share of people feeling fairly or very positive about this still reached 45 percent.

Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Norway data was reported at 590.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 558.000 Person for 2016. Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Norway data is updated yearly, averaging 341.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2017, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 590.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 247.000 Person in 2007. Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Norway data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Netherlands. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.G005: Number of Immigrants: by Country.

Of the total non-Western population of approximately 2.53 million people in the Netherlands, people of Turkish origins formed the largest group with 430,000 people. The Dutch of Moroccan and Surinamese descent form the second and third-largest groups, with 419,300 and 359,800 people respectively.

The most important key figures about population, households, birth, mortality, changes of residence, marriages, marriage dissolutions and change of nationality of the Dutch population. Data available from: 1899 Status of the figures: All data in this publication are final data. Changes as of 9 april 2021: The figures for the period 1987 to 1994 with regard to 'Emigration including the balance of the administrative corrections' have been corrected. The correction is due to duplications present in some of our source files. The differences are minimal. The figures for 1997 with regard to Emigration, including the balance of the administrative corrections for persons with nationality 'European Union (excluding the Netherlands)', and persons with country of birth 'European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' have been corrected. The correction is due to a calculation error. The topics 'Live born children, relative' and 'Sex ratio' have switched places. Changes as of 24 March 2020: The table has been revised. The following changes have been made: Population on January 1: - The number of 'Women' in 2012 has been corrected. - The figures for 'Migration background Suriname' and 'Migration background (former) Netherlands Antilles' have been changed for 1971 up to and including 1994. The changes are the result of a method change in the past, which was not reflected in the table at the time. The figures now match all other sections of StatLine. Population development: 'Emigration' has been changed to 'Emigration including administrative corrections', 'Migration balance' has been changed to 'Migration balance including administrative corrections'. Figures on emigration, including the balance of administrative corrections, provide a better picture of actual emigration than figures on emigration excluding these corrections. Due to the change, the figures for 1977 up to and including 2016 have changed. Live born children: The 2015 figures for 'Live born children from mothers aged 25 to 29, relative' and 'Live born children from mothers aged 30 or older, relative' have been adjusted. Mortality: - The figures for 'Life expectancy at birth: men' and 'Life expectancy at birth: women' for 1950 up to and including 1962, 1972, 1982, 1991, 1999, 2009 and 2011 have been corrected. - The figures for 'Mortality <1 year after birth, relative' for 1994 and 2011 have been corrected. - The figure for 'Mortality <1 year after birth, relative' for 2011 has been corrected. - The figures for 'Deceased by cause of death' have been removed from the table. (For more information: 3. LINKS TO RELEVANT TABLES AND ARTICLES). Foreign migration by nationality: - Various topics related to 'Emigration including administrative corrections' have been added. - 'Total immigration' has been corrected for 1993 and 1996. - 'Immigration, European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' has been adjusted for 2004 and 2013. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Dutch' has been corrected for 1995 and 2012. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Total non-Dutch' has been corrected for 1995 and 2012. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, European Union' has been adjusted for 2004, 2005 and 2013. Foreign migration by country of birth: - Various topics related to 'Emigration including administrative corrections' have been added. - 'Total immigration' has been corrected for 1993 and 1996. - 'Immigration, European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' has been adjusted for 1987 up to and including 1990 and for 2004. - 'Immigration, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2012. - 'Immigration, Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2012. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' has been adjusted for 1989, 1999 and 2004. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Indonesia' has been corrected for 1994. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 1997. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 1997. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Specific emigration areas' has been corrected for 1995. Foreign migration by country of origin / destination: - 'Total immigration' has been corrected for 1996. - 'Immigration, European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' has been adjusted for 2004. - 'Immigration, Indonesia, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2007 and 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Immigration, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Immigration, Indonesia' has been corrected for 2013. - 'Immigration, Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, European Union (excluding the Netherlands)' has been adjusted for 1998 and 2004. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Indonesia, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Suriname and Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Netherlands Antilles' has been corrected for 2010 up to and including 2016. - 'Emigration excluding administrative corrections, Turkey' has been corrected for 2012. The corrections are the result of manual actions. The differences concern rounding differences and are minimal. The adjustments with regard to the European Union are generally the result of a changed calculation method. When will the new figures be published? The figures for the population development in 2019 and the population on 1 January 2020 will be published in the first quarter of 2021.

In 2022 there were approximately 308,000 first generation immigrants living in Amsterdam, approximately 13,000 more than the previous year. The population of migrants in Amsterdam fluctuated between the years of 1996 and 2007 from 182,000 in 1997 to 211,000 in 2005. It then gradually increased from 2007 until 2022, from 208,000 to 308,000.

Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Lebanon data was reported at 447.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 452.000 Person for 2016. Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Lebanon data is updated yearly, averaging 168.000 Person from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2017, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 452.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 101.000 Person in 2004. Netherlands Number of Immigrants: Lebanon data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Netherlands. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Netherlands – Table NL.G005: Number of Immigrants: by Country.