Lower immigration in 2024, particularly among knowledge migrants

Almost half of migrants came from countries outside the European Union (EU). Around 4 in 10 migrants arrived from an EU or EFTA country and 1 in 10 were of Dutch nationality. These are often people who return to the Netherlands, having previously emigrated.

Lower immigration since 2023

Immigration rates vary from year to year, but between 2008 and 2022, they increased. That was partly due to annual increases in immigration from the EU until 2019, and partly to periods of higher immigration rates from countries outside the EU. The war in Ukraine in particular, led to a significant increase in immigration in 2022.

Nearly 40 percent fewer knowledge migrants than in 2022

The number of highly skilled migrants in particular, fell after 2022. In 2024, 16 thousand of these relatively well-paid, specialised labour migrants came to the Netherlands from countries outside the EU. That was a decline of 26 percent compared to 2023 and 39 percent relative to 2022. In previous years, the number of knowledge migrants coming to the Netherlands had increased, except during the coronavirus pandemic. In 2024, there were mainly fewer highly skilled migrants from India, but the number of people of Russian, Turkish, South African and Chinese nationality also fell.

Knowledge migrants from outside the EU are classified as labour migrants. Over the past 25 years, nearly 1 in 5 migrants came to the Netherlands as labour migrants. In 2023, there were nearly 70 thousand migrants, nearly 65 percent of whom were from an EU country.

The number of EU labour migrants also fell in 2023, but less sharply than the number of non-EU highly skilled migrants. The number of other labour migrants from countries outside the EU rose slightly.

Nearly 73 thousand family migrants

A total of 73 thousand family migrants arrived in the Netherlands in 2023, nearly a quarter of all migrants in the same year. Four in ten migrants join family members who have come as highly skilled migrants from an EU country or a country outside the EU. Because fewer knowledge migrants came to the Netherlands in 2023 and 2024, there were also fewer family members arriving in the same period.

Family members also come to the Netherlands to join study and asylum migrants. In 2024, the latter group (from countries outside the EU) comprised 4.7 thousand persons. This number fluctuates, just as the number of asylum migrants does.

12 percent of migrants in 2024 were asylum seekers

In 2024, approximately 12 percent of all immigrants were asylum migrants. These are people who have entered the Netherlands legally and are registered as residents in the municipal Personal Records Database. The number of asylum migrants fluctuates in line with the number of asylum applications, which in turn is mainly influenced by unrest and wars around the globe. Over the past 25 years, an average of 9 percent of immigrants per year were asylum migrants.

In 2024, there were 36 thousand labour migrants, over 3 thousand more than in 2023. After a peak in 2016, due to wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia, the number of asylum migrants fell.

12 percent are study migrants

Besides the three reasons for migration described above (work, family and asylum), study is also an important reason for migrants to come to the Netherlands. This applied to 41 thousand people, 12 percent of total immigration in 2023.
In addition, nearly 30 thousand refugees came from Ukraine in 2024. They are covered by the European Temporary Protection Directive. That was 8 thousand fewer than in 2023.