Non-EU labour migrants are often male knowledge migrants

© ANP / Panos Pictures
At the end of 2021, 87 thousand labour migrants from countries outside the European Union or European Free Trade Association (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Sweden) were residing in the Netherlands. This group consisted largely of men (71 percent) and was relatively young: 67 percent were under the age of 40. Slightly more than half of the labour migrants from non-EU/EFTA countries came from Asia. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of new figures on labour migration.

Nearly half (46 percent) of these labour migrants were knowledge migrants. These are highly-educated workers who have been recruited by Dutch employers. A smaller group stayed in the Netherlands as part of a scheme for scientific researchers or were transferred within a company established outside the EU/EFTA to a branch in the Netherlands as Intra-Corporate Transferees (ICTs).

Non-EU/EFTA labour migrants, 31 December 2021
RegelingTotal (%)
Highly skilled migrant scheme46.0
Scheme for scientific researchers11.0
Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) scheme7.0
Other schemes36.0

Most labour migrants working in business services

The majority of all non-EU/EFTA labour migrants were working in the services sector. Most of them were employed in business services (24 percent), for example in technical or financial consulting firms. Relatively many labour migrants (23 percent) were also working in the information and communication sector, especially in the development, production and publication of software. The sector trade, transport and accommodation and food services employed 21 percent. Sectors with the lowest numbers of non-EU/EFTA labour migrants were culture and recreation, construction, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and real estate activities.

Of the labour migrants in paid employment, 94 percent had a contract for 30 hours per week or more. Women (51 percent) and man (55 percent) were almost equally likely to work full-time (35 hours per week or more).

Non-EU/EFTA labour migrants by sector, 31 December 2021
SectorPercentage (%)
Business services24.2
Information
and communication
22.6
Trade, transport and
accommodation and food services
20.6
Public and
healthcare sector
10.7
Manufacturing (excl. construction)
and energy
10.0
Financial services7.6
Other4.3

Majority of labour migrants residing in Amstelveen

Municipalities where proportionally most labour migrants from outside the EU/EFTA were living are Amstelveen (57 per thousand inhabitants), Eindhoven (28 per thousand inhabitants) and Amsterdam (23 per thousand inhabitants). In all cities with a university, the number of labour migrants is relatively high. These are municipalities with many employment opportunities for highly-educated people.

Non-EU/EFTA labour migrants per municipality of residence, 31 December 2021
GemeenteGemeentecode
Aa en Hunze0.6
Aalsmeer7.3
Aalten0.2
Achtkarspelen0.4
Alblasserdam0.7
Albrandswaard1.4
Alkmaar2.3
Almelo1.0
Almere11.8
Alphen aan den Rijn1.5
Alphen-Chaam0.5
Altena0.4
Ameland0.0
Amersfoort3.3
Amstelveen57.0
Amsterdam23.2
Apeldoorn1.3
Arnhem4.3
Assen1.3
Asten0.9
Baarle-Nassau0.7
Baarn1.6
Barendrecht2.2
Barneveld1.3
Beek (L.)1.3
Beekdaelen1.0
Beemster1.5
Beesel0.4
Berg en Dal1.1
Bergeijk1.3
Bergen (L.)0.4
Bergen (NH.)1.3
Bergen op Zoom2.0
Berkelland0.3
Bernheze0.3
Best5.0
Beuningen1.0
Beverwijk3.0
Bladel0.7
Blaricum2.1
Bloemendaal2.1
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk0.9
Boekel0.5
Borger-Odoorn0.4
Borne0.6
Borsele0.7
Boxmeer1.2
Boxtel0.8
Breda2.8
Brielle1.1
Bronckhorst0.0
Brummen0.5
Brunssum0.9
Bunnik2.3
Bunschoten0.5
Buren0.6
Capelle aan den IJssel5.5
Castricum0.7
Coevorden0.7
Cranendonck2.4
Cuijk1.0
Culemborg1.4
Dalfsen0.2
Dantumadiel0.3
De Bilt1.8
De Fryske Marren0.7
De Ronde Venen2.3
De Wolden0.2
Delft18.3
Den Helder1.3
Deurne0.6
Deventer1.4
Diemen19.1
Dinkelland0.4
Doesburg0.5
Doetinchem0.8
Dongen0.6
Dordrecht1.8
Drechterland0.3
Drimmelen0.5
Dronten1.5
Druten0.3
Duiven0.6
Echt-Susteren0.9
Edam-Volendam0.8
Ede2.0
Eemnes1.6
Eemsdelta1.8
Eersel1.3
Eijsden-Margraten1.4
Eindhoven27.7
Elburg0.6
Emmen0.8
Enkhuizen1.1
Enschede6.0
Epe0.6
Ermelo1.1
Etten-Leur1.3
Geertruidenberg0.5
Geldrop-Mierlo3.6
Gemert-Bakel0.5
Gennep0.6
Gilze en Rijen2.1
Goeree-Overflakkee0.3
Goes0.9
Goirle0.2
Gooise Meren3.0
Gorinchem1.5
Gouda2.2
Grave2.4
Groningen (gemeente)7.7
Gulpen-Wittem0.7
Haaksbergen0.4
Haarlem9.2
Haarlemmermeer12.6
Halderberge0.7
Hardenberg0.7
Harderwijk0.9
Hardinxveld-Giessendam0.5
Harlingen0.3
Hattem0.4
Heemskerk1.1
Heemstede3.6
Heerde0.8
Heerenveen1.0
Heerhugowaard1.7
Heerlen1.5
Heeze-Leende1.8
Heiloo0.8
Hellendoorn0.6
Hellevoetsluis0.9
Helmond2.4
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht0.5
Hengelo (O.)2.3
Het Hogeland0.5
Heumen2.1
Heusden1.1
Hillegom2.0
Hilvarenbeek0.6
Hilversum12.3
Hoeksche Waard0.6
Hof van Twente0.4
Hollands Kroon0.6
Hoogeveen0.8
Hoorn1.8
Horst aan de Maas0.6
Houten3.4
Huizen1.5
Hulst0.5
IJsselstein2.1
Kaag en Braassem1.5
Kampen0.6
Kapelle0.4
Katwijk0.8
Kerkrade1.0
Koggenland0.4
Krimpen aan den IJssel1.0
Krimpenerwaard0.5
Laarbeek0.4
Landerd0.3
Landgraaf0.7
Landsmeer1.7
Langedijk0.5
Lansingerland3.0
Laren (NH.)2.6
Leeuwarden1.8
Leiden12.0
Leiderdorp4.6
Leidschendam-Voorburg12.5
Lelystad2.8
Leudal1.1
Leusden1.0
Lingewaard0.7
Lisse1.3
Lochem0.4
Loon op Zand0.9
Lopik0.7
Losser0.4
Maasdriel0.6
Maasgouw1.0
Maassluis1.0
Maastricht9.6
Medemblik0.6
Meerssen0.8
Meierijstad1.3
Meppel0.7
Middelburg (Z.)2.3
Midden-Delfland2.6
Midden-Drenthe0.6
Midden-Groningen0.5
Mill en Sint Hubert0.5
Moerdijk0.4
Molenlanden0.5
Montferland0.6
Montfoort1.1
Mook en Middelaar1.3
Neder-Betuwe0.4
Nederweert0.6
Nieuwegein6.5
Nieuwkoop0.9
Nijkerk0.8
Nijmegen4.6
Nissewaard1.1
Noardeast-Fryslân0.3
Noord-Beveland0.7
Noordenveld0.5
Noordoostpolder1.1
Noordwijk1.5
Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten3.6
Nunspeet0.7
Oegstgeest6.6
Oirschot1.1
Oisterwijk0.9
Oldambt0.7
Oldebroek0.2
Oldenzaal0.8
Olst-Wijhe0.0
Ommen0.5
Oost Gelre0.3
Oosterhout0.7
Ooststellingwerf0.2
Oostzaan1.5
Opmeer0.4
Opsterland0.3
Oss1.1
Oude IJsselstreek0.3
Ouder-Amstel10.3
Oudewater0.5
Overbetuwe1.1
Papendrecht0.8
Peel en Maas0.6
Pekela0.0
Pijnacker-Nootdorp6.6
Purmerend3.7
Putten0.8
Raalte0.4
Reimerswaal0.7
Renkum1.1
Renswoude0.9
Reusel-De Mierden0.8
Rheden0.6
Rhenen1.0
Ridderkerk1.1
Rijssen-Holten0.4
Rijswijk (ZH.)7.2
Roerdalen1.5
Roermond2.6
Roosendaal0.9
Rotterdam7.4
Rozendaal2.9
Rucphen0.6
Schagen0.6
Scherpenzeel0.5
Schiedam4.5
Schiermonnikoog0.0
Schouwen-Duiveland0.4
's-Gravenhage (gemeente)10.7
's-Hertogenbosch3.6
Simpelveld1.0
Sint Anthonis0.4
Sint-Michielsgestel0.5
Sittard-Geleen1.6
Sliedrecht0.6
Sluis0.4
Smallingerland1.2
Soest1.7
Someren0.3
Son en Breugel3.7
Stadskanaal0.8
Staphorst0.3
Stede Broec0.9
Steenbergen0.6
Steenwijkerland0.6
Stein (L.)0.4
Stichtse Vecht4.1
Súdwest-Fryslân0.6
Terneuzen2.8
Terschelling0.0
Texel2.9
Teylingen2.4
Tholen0.6
Tiel1.1
Tilburg2.1
Tubbergen0.5
Twenterand0.1
Tynaarlo0.7
Tytsjerksteradiel0.6
Uden1.2
Uitgeest1.5
Uithoorn18.0
Urk0.0
Utrecht (gemeente)12.1
Utrechtse Heuvelrug1.3
Vaals1.0
Valkenburg aan de Geul2.1
Valkenswaard3.5
Veendam0.5
Veenendaal1.1
Veere0.5
Veldhoven15.2
Velsen1.7
Venlo1.8
Venray0.9
Vijfheerenlanden1.4
Vlaardingen0.9
Vlieland0.0
Vlissingen1.6
Voerendaal0.4
Voorschoten4.1
Voorst0.2
Vught0.9
Waadhoeke0.7
Waalre7.7
Waalwijk1.2
Waddinxveen0.8
Wageningen18.7
Wassenaar14.5
Waterland1.2
Weert2.2
Weesp6.8
West Betuwe0.5
West Maas en Waal0.8
Westerkwartier0.4
Westerveld0.8
Westervoort1.3
Westerwolde2.7
Westland0.9
Weststellingwerf1.1
Westvoorne1.0
Wierden0.2
Wijchen1.1
Wijdemeren1.8
Wijk bij Duurstede0.4
Winterswijk0.7
Woensdrecht0.7
Woerden1.9
Wormerland0.9
Woudenberg1.1
Zaanstad4.2
Zaltbommel1.2
Zandvoort3.5
Zeewolde1.1
Zeist3.0
Zevenaar0.5
Zoetermeer2.9
Zoeterwoude1.1
Zuidplas1.0
Zundert0.9
Zutphen1.6
Zwartewaterland0.2
Zwijndrecht1.3
Zwolle1.8

Mainly accompanied by female family migrants

In 2021, over 58 thousand partners and children of labour migrants from non-EU/EFTA countries stayed in the Netherlands. The majority of these family migrants were women (70 percent). Forty percent were children living at home.