People born in Amsterdam live on the outskirts of the capital

For 44 percent of current residents, Amsterdam was also their place of birth. One third of residents of the city centre (Binnenstad) were born in Amsterdam. Born and bred Amsterdam residents are mainly found on the outskirts, in municipal quarters like Slotervaart, Overtoomseveld, Osdorp and Amsterdam-Noord.

People born and living in Amsterdam by neighbourhood, 2004

Exodus from the centre to the garden villages

In neighbourhoods in the city centre like Burgwallen-Oude Zijde, Grachtengordel-West and Grachtengordel-Zuid only one quarter of residents were born in Amsterdam. The proportion is even lower (one fifth) in Burgwallen-Nieuwe Zijde. Residents of these neighbourhoods were predominantly born outside the capital.
The highest proportions of people born in Amsterdam live in the adjacent garden villages like Oostzaan, Nieuwendam and Buiksloot. In Buiksloot, for example, 80 percent of residents were born in Amsterdam.

People born elsewhere living in Amsterdam by neighbourhood, 2004

One in three Amsterdam residents are foreigners

Nearly one third (29 percent) of Amsterdam residents were born outside the Netherlands. Proportions of immigrants exceeding 40 percent are found in municipal quarters like Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Bos en Lommer, the Indische buurt and the Kolenkit. Amsterdam Zuid-Oost houses a large Surinamese population, many Moroccans and, to a lesser extent, Turks live in Bos en Lommer.

Most people born in Amsterdam live elsewhere

More than six in ten persons born in the capital currently live elsewhere, often in adjacent municipalities. More than half of residents of the municipalities of Diemen and Landsmeer were born in Amsterdam, a higher proportion than in Amsterdam itself. The amount of people born in Amsterdam is also relatively high in the municipalities of Purmerend, Almere and Lelystad, since many new houses have recently become available in these three municipalities. The proportion of people born in Amsterdam is remarkably low in the municipality of Zaanstad (14 percent).

Outside Greater Amsterdam, relatively many people born in Amsterdam live in the Breda, Eindhoven and Maastricht regions. Other areas popular among people born in Amsterdam are the Veluwe region, extensive parts of the province of Friesland and the entire province of Drenthe.

People born in Amsterdam by current municipality of residence, 2004

Carel Harmsen and Elma van Agtmaal-Wobma