CBS introducing new population classification by origin

Component 1: Born in the Netherlands or abroad
The classification Born in the Netherlands or abroad first looks at whether a resident was born in the Netherlands or abroad, and then where the parents were born. From now on, foreign-born residents are called migrants by CBS; residents born in the Netherlands with one or two parents born abroad are called children of migrants.
The classification of persons by their own country of birth and that of their parents will replace the concepts of first and second generation. Greater emphasis will also be placed on whether one or both parents were born in the Netherlands or abroad. The term ‘migration background’ will no longer be used in this regard.
Component 2: Country of origin
For the country of origin, a new classification has been created which is based on continents and a few countries with a specific migration history. This will replace the concepts of western/non-western migration background. Traditional countries of origin, with which the Netherlands shares a special migration history and where relatively many inhabitants and/or their parents were born, are distinguished separately in the classification.
The classification by country of origin comprises four levels:
• Level 1: The Netherlands, Europe (excluding the Netherlands), Outside Europe
• Level 2: Outside Europe consists of two categories: traditional countries of origin (Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, Indonesia and the Dutch Caribbean) and Other – Outside Europe.
• Level 3: Other – Outside Europe is broken down further by Other – Africa, Other – Asia, and Other – Americas and Oceania.
• Level 4: individual countries