MigrantoMigration trends in the Netherlands
Europe
2.4M people from around the world have made Netherlands their home. That's 13.5% of the country population, arriving from 40 different countries
18M
Population
2.4M
Immigrants
631.4K
Emigrants
+1.8M
Inflow
Every 7th person in the Netherlands was born abroad
The #28 largest immigrant destination worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in the Netherlands
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
1.1M immigrants · 483K emigrants
1995
- Suriname overtook Indonesia as the largest source of new arrivals
- The diaspora abroad passed 500K people
2005
- Turkey overtook Suriname as the largest source of new arrivals
2010
- Belgium replaced Canada as the main destination for those leaving
Today
- Migration accounted for 89% of the country's population growth
- Since 1990: 1.4M more foreign-born residents and 148.4K more citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Living in the Netherlands
See the full country overview