Net migration to Dutch municipalities rises as residents leave big cities

In 2025 a majority of Dutch municipalities recorded a positive net migration, with only 55 of the 342 municipalities seeing more people leave than arrive. Municipalities such as Apeldoorn (+848 residents, +15 %), Breda (+1,003, +13 %), Maassluis (+657, +55 %), Roosendaal (+310, +12 %), Wijchen (+313, +24 %), Deurne (+370, +41 %), Dongen (+256, +31 %), Heusden (+246, +15 %), Aalsmeer (+125, +9 %) and Zaanstad (+2,058, +30 %) all reported net inflows. The main sources of newcomers were larger cities, especially Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Arnhem and other major urban areas. The trend is attributed to more affordable housing in smaller towns and the redistribution of asylum‑seeker households from large reception centres in Westerwolde, Cranendonck and Gilze‑en‑Rijen. The data were compiled by the comparison site Slimster using the latest figures from the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS), with analysis quoted from Slimster’s Marco Schuurman.