Notably fewer highly-skilled immigrants from outside of the EU in 2020

The number of immigrants that came to the Netherlands in 2020 from outside the EU fell by nearly 30 thousand to 61.7 thousand, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported. The number of highly skilled migrants from outside the EU nearly halved to seven thousand.

Around one-third of migrants from outside the EU came to the Netherlands for family reunification. That has also been a large motive for people to come to the Netherlands in the past 20 years, the CBS stated. Study, work and asylum accounted for 20 percent of the immigration to the Netherlands from non-EU countries.

The number of people coming to the Netherlands for work or study gradually increased up until 2019.

Immigrants from inside the EU also decreased last year by 15 thousand, dropping down to a total of 109 thousand. In 2019, 35 percent of EU immigrants stated work-related reasons as the main motive to relocate to the Netherlands.

In total, 221 thousand immigrants came to the Netherlands in 2020 while 152 thousand people emigrated. The number of people who emigrated fell by nine thousand last year. Emigrates primarily had a non-EU nationality.  

Immigration has shown to increase again in the first months of 2021, the CBS stated. Immigration figures were still a few thousand lower than in 2018 and 2019.