Living on the edge

Some 1.4 million of the 16.3 million people living in the Netherlands in 2004 were western foreigners. Although this group is spread across the country, on closer examination at municipal and neighbourhood evel, they mainly live on the edges of the Netherlands.

Western foreigners by neighbourhood, 2004

Along the borders

Western foreigners live in nearly all municipalities in Limburg, southern North-Brabant and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. More than 10 percent of the population in all the neighbourhoods in municipalities Vaals, Landgraaf and Kerkrade are western foreigners. For Maastricht this is the case in 42 of the 44 neighbourhoods. The same is true of Baarle-Nassau, Sluis and Hulst. The share of western foreigners is smaller along the north-eastern border of the Netherlands. In municipalities Hardenberg, Emmen and Vlagtwedde no more than an average 6 percent of the population are western foreigners.

Along the coast

In addition to the southern border areas relatively many western foreigners lives in the coastal areas of South and North Holland. The municipalities of The Hague, Wassenaar, Noordwijk aan Zee, Zandvoort, Bloemendaal and Bergen are popular locations in this respect.
The coastal areas of Groningen and Friesland and the delta area of Zeeland have relatively very few western foreigners in their population.

On the outskirts and in the city centres

In nearly two-thirds of all neighbourhoods in The Hague 10 percent of more of the population are western foreigners. Most of them live to the north of the city centre. In Amsterdam most western foreigners live in the city centre and in the south of the city, where house prices are also highest. 

Western foreigners in Amsterdam, 2004

Western  foreigners in The Hague, 2004

In the woods

Lastly, the wooded areas around Arnhem and Apeldoorn are also relatively popular residences for western foreigners. Western foreigners account for more than 10 percent of the population in the districts Hoog Soeren and Hoog Buurlo. 

Bert Raets