23 thousand people with a non-Dutch nationality start up their own business

One in six new firms started up in the Netherlands in 2014 was owned by persons with at least one non-Dutch nationality. Altogether, 23 thousand individuals with a non-Dutch nationality started a new business, CBS reports. Starters with dual nationalities, i.e. the Dutch as well as a foreign nationality are included in the category ‘foreign nationality’.

Generally, starters with a non-Dutch nationality are younger than their Dutch counterparts. There also appears to be a relation between nationality and type of sector they are active in.

In total, some 132 thousand new businesses were started up by self-employed with or without personnel or director-large shareholders in the age category 20-64. The majority of them only had the Dutch nationality.

Turks and Moroccans constitute largest groups

In 2014, most new businesses started up by individuals with a non-Dutch nationality had a Turkish or Moroccan background. Turks and Moroccans also constitute the largest ethnic groups in the Netherlands with a non-Dutch nationality. More than 4,500 Turks and nearly 2,800 Moroccans started a new business in the Netherlands in 2014.

Proportionally, most new business owners came from Eastern Europe in 2014.

Share starting businesses 25 most common nationalities in the Netherlands,2014

More than 5 percent of Bulgarians in the Netherlands started their own business in 2014. With 4.2 and 3.0 percent respectively of the total group, Romanians and Hungarians are also relatively well represented. New businesses with Chinese, Moroccan and German owners, on the other hand, are relatively rare. In the 20-64 age category, 1.6 percent of Dutch started up a new business in 2014.

Dutch new business starters often older

Most starters were 25 to 34-year-olds. The number of starters subsequently declines in the older age categories.

People with single Dutch nationality are usually older when they start up a new business: in 2014 nearly half of them had passed the age of 40, whereas 70 percent of starters with a non-Dutch nationality were under the age of 40. This is partly because, among some nationalities in the Netherlands, for example people from India and China, the average age is lower.

In 2014, the gender distribution among starters was the same for Dutch and non-Dutch nationalities: three-quarters were men; women accounted for one-quarter. This was also the case in previous years.

Share starting businesses by age category and nationality owner, 2014

Differences by sector

Just like Dutch citizens, British and German starters are mostly active in the sector business services. British citizens in the Netherlands often start consulting and advertising agencies or software development companies.

People of Turkish or Moroccan descent often start their own supermarket, fresh food retail business or taxi firm. The construction sector employs many Polish citizens.

Starting businesses 10 most common nationalities in the Netherlands by sector, 2014