1. Introduction

CBS has been publishing on migration and integration for decades. In terms of policy, research and wider societal considerations, there is a great need for these figures. Since the late 1990s, migrants and their children born in the Netherlands or abroad have been distinguished as being of western or non-western origin. In recent years it has become apparent that this classification is outdated and widely perceived as difficult to interpret. Partly for this reason, CBS decided to develop a new classification by origin for migrants in the Netherlands and their Netherlands-born children (CBS, 2021a). The aim of this new classification is to provide a more factual representation of statistical information on migration and integration. In addition, alternative classifications by country or cluster of countries are still an option for statistics and research by CBS or third parties.

This article discusses the new classification by origin for migrants and their children born in the Netherlands or abroad, and examines some of the statistical implications of the new classification compared to its predecessor.