Living in Groningen
Groningen is a city in the Netherlands. Annual PM2.5 was 7 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. For Groningen, the unemployment rate was 5.2% at the end of 2024. At the start of 2026, Groningen had a population of 244,427. Gigabit broadband availability was 98.7% in 2025. Car density was 419.5 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2025.
Higher unemployment than any other Dutch city that publishes it, more recorded crime than 96% of Dutch cities that publish it and cleaner air than 96% of Dutch cities that publish it.
Which Netherlands-wide rules apply when you move to Groningen?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Groningen?
Average net cold rent is 4.58 EUR/m² per month (2004), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 4.58 EUR/m²/month · Eurostat14
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 27.53 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 41.6 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 1,526 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 14.93 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 17.88 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Cost of Living in Groningen. Jun 2026. Prices in Groningen23Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 89.57 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 256.7 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v224Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Housing Stock Total | 116,445 dwellings | 31 Dec 2020 | CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 4.58 EUR/m²/month | 31 Dec 2004 | Eurostat14Official |
| Rental Share Pct | 59 pct | 31 Dec 2020 | CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official |
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 275 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 4.58 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Groningen?
The unemployment rate is 5.2 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 98.67 % | 2025 Q1 | Percentage of households in the Dutch municipality with access to a fixed internet connection of at least 1 Gbps (1000 Mbit/s); availability, not subscribed plan, measured speed or FTTH-only coverage.19Official |
| Median Income Eur Year | 30,000 EUR/year | 31 Dec 2024 | CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek4Official |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2 %country median 3.1% | 31 Dec 2024 | CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8Official |
Unemployment rate fell 27.2% between 2011 and 2024, from 7.1% to 5.2%.
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Groningen. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
UWV public employment service — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Groningen. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.
Family and education
Safety
How safe is Groningen?
Police recorded 6,160 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 6,160 offences per 100,000 · CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 6,160 offences per 100,000country median 3,080 | 31 Dec 2024 | CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Groningen. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Blik op Werk integration-provider quality register — Other
Blik op Werk
For integration-course applicants.
DUO choosing an integration course — State Language Course
Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO)
For people who must integrate.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Groningen?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data11
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 14 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Groningen-Europaweg)12Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 17 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Groningen-Europaweg)13Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7 µg/m³country median 9.0 | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data11Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 5.2 · Feb 6 · Mar 9.5 · Apr 14.2 · May 17.6 · Jun 20.4 · Jul 22.7 · Aug 22.6 · Sep 19 · Oct 14.2 · Nov 9 · Dec 5.9 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 0.1 · Feb -0.1 · Mar 1.4 · Apr 3.7 · May 7 · Jun 9.9 · Jul 12.2 · Aug 11.9 · Sep 9.4 · Oct 6.3 · Nov 3.2 · Dec 0.8 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 2.8 · Feb 3 · Mar 5.5 · Apr 9 · May 12.5 · Jun 15.4 · Jul 17.5 · Aug 17.3 · Sep 14.1 · Oct 10.3 · Nov 6.3 · Dec 3.5 °C | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 72.7 · Feb 54.7 · Mar 54.1 · Apr 41.3 · May 57.9 · Jun 65 · Jul 85 · Aug 77.8 · Sep 75.4 · Oct 71.4 · Nov 70 · Dec 79.4 mm | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 60.7 · Feb 86.1 · Mar 139 · Apr 188.7 · May 218 · Jun 198.6 · Jul 212.3 · Aug 196.3 · Sep 150.7 · Oct 112.9 · Nov 63.4 · Dec 56.1 hours | 1991–2020 | WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv22Official · nearest-station reading |
Cities of a similar size in Netherlands
Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.
Population and city profile
The city covered 198 km² in 2026. Population density was 2,925 people per km² in 2026.
How many people live in Groningen?
The published population was 244,427 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Groningen (gemeente) (GM0014)6
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address Density | 3,500 addresses/km² | 27 Aug 2026 | CBS2Official |
| Area | 83.69 km² | 9 Jun 2026 | Wikidata (P2046)25Independent · gemeente |
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 419.5 cars/1000 residents | 1 Jan 2025 | CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official |
| City area | 198 km² | 28 Jan 2026 | Kadaster BRK Bestuurlijke Gebieden, current municipality boundary polygon in EPSG:28992; area is the polygon area converted from m² to km².16Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 11.9 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat15Official |
| Foreign residents | 72,179 people | 1 Jan 2025 | CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official |
| Population density | 2,925 people/km² | 9 Jun 2026 | CBS2Official · gemeente |
| Population | 244,427 people | 9 Jun 2026 | CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Groningen (gemeente) (GM0014)6Official |
Foreign residents rose 416.3% between 2014 and 2025, from 13,981 to 72,179.
International community in Groningen
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population registered in Dutch municipalities; CBS population on 1 January · 2026-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Born in the Netherlands | 195,717 | 80.1% |
| Born outside the Netherlands | 48,710 | 19.9% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source21
Citizenship
Residents in the Dutch population register; 1 January · 2025-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Totaal | 244,441 | 100.0% |
| Nederlands | 214,632 | 87.8% |
| Totaal niet-Nederlandse nationaliteit | 29,809 | 12.2% |
| Europa (exclusief Nederlands) | 18,823 | 7.7% |
| Europese Unie (exclusief Nederlands) | 15,606 | 6.4% |
| Buiten-Europa | 10,576 | 4.3% |
| Azië | 7,628 | 3.1% |
| Azië (exclusief Indonesisch en Turks) | 6,083 | 2.5% |
| Midden- en Oost-Europese nat. in de EU | 5,156 | 2.1% |
| GIPS-Nationaliteiten in de EU | 4,426 | 1.8% |
Show 55 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Burger van Bondsrepubliek Duitsland | 3,191 | 1.3% |
| Roemeens | 1,688 | 0.7% |
| Chinees | 1,627 | 0.7% |
| Italiaans | 1,604 | 0.7% |
| Spaans | 1,489 | 0.6% |
| Oekraïens | 1,471 | 0.6% |
| Amerika en Oceanië (exclusief Surinaams) | 1,446 | 0.6% |
| Afrika | 1,432 | 0.6% |
| Amerika | 1,391 | 0.6% |
| Afrika (exclusief Marokkaans) | 1,302 | 0.5% |
| Syrisch | 1,295 | 0.5% |
| Pools | 892 | 0.4% |
| Brits | 832 | 0.3% |
| Iers | 817 | 0.3% |
| Turks | 803 | 0.3% |
| Grieks | 788 | 0.3% |
| Indiaas | 761 | 0.3% |
| Bulgaars | 745 | 0.3% |
| Indonesisch | 742 | 0.3% |
| Frans | 704 | 0.3% |
| Portugees | 545 | 0.2% |
| Iraans | 527 | 0.2% |
| Amerikaans | 431 | 0.2% |
| Russisch | 423 | 0.2% |
| Hongaars | 414 | 0.2% |
| Staatloos / onbekend | 410 | 0.2% |
| Slowaaks | 368 | 0.2% |
| Eritrees | 298 | 0.1% |
| Belgisch | 294 | 0.1% |
| Litouws | 261 | 0.1% |
| Kroatisch | 197 | 0.1% |
| Braziliaans | 187 | 0.1% |
| Tsjechisch | 187 | 0.1% |
| Zweeds | 187 | 0.1% |
| Lets | 185 | 0.1% |
| Zuid-Koreaans | 185 | 0.1% |
| Zuid-Afrikaans | 168 | 0.1% |
| Afghaans | 153 | 0.1% |
| Nigeriaans | 149 | 0.1% |
| Oostenrijks | 145 | 0.1% |
| Jemenitisch | 130 | 0.1% |
| Marokkaans | 130 | 0.1% |
| Oceanië | 125 | 0.1% |
| Canadees | 122 | 0.0% |
| Pakistaans | 120 | 0.0% |
| Colombiaans | 115 | 0.0% |
| Iraaks | 115 | 0.0% |
| Egyptisch | 109 | 0.0% |
| Japans | 103 | 0.0% |
| Vietnamees | 82 | 0.0% |
| Filippijns | 76 | 0.0% |
| Thais | 71 | 0.0% |
| Surinaams | 70 | 0.0% |
| Somalisch | 69 | 0.0% |
| Ghanees | 47 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20
Is Groningen a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Download Mbps 2024 | 250 Mbps | 31 Dec 2024 | ACM1Official |
| Avg Woz Value K Eur | 208 kEUR | 31 Dec 2020 | CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official |
| Banen Total | 165,800 jobs | 31 Dec 2024 | CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek5Official |
| Fttp Nl 5g Availability | true | 31 Dec 2024 | ACM1Official |
| Fttp Nl Avg Pct | 95 % | 31 Dec 2024 | ACM1Official |
| Owner Occupied Share Pct | 41 pct | 31 Dec 2020 | CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official |
| Universities | 1 count | 3 Aug 2026 | DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Groningen under the national coverage rules.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Groningen?
The published population was 244,427 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Groningen (gemeente) (GM0014).
How much does it cost to rent in Groningen?
Average net cold rent is 4.58 EUR/m² per month (2004), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 321 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Eurostat.
Is the air quality good in Groningen?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data.
How safe is Groningen?
Police recorded 6,160 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 2024.
What is the unemployment rate in Groningen?
The unemployment rate is 5.2 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality.
How many foreign residents live in Groningen?
72,179 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population..
Is Groningen a good place to live?
Groningen may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
How many people born in Born in the Netherlands live in Groningen?
The official country of birth distribution records 195,717 people (80.1%) in the source-defined population for 2026-01-01. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Groningen, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/groningen/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_groningen-netherlands-rent-salary-jobs_f06a4671bd66,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Groningen, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-12},
version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/groningen/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Groningen, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/groningen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- ACM acm.nl · checked 2026-06-12
- CBS opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
- CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-11
- CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
- CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
- CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Groningen (gemeente) (GM0014) CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-14
- CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population. opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-15
- CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality CBS labour market in figures 2024 · longreads.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
- CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 2024 CBS StatLine 83648NED · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
- DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) duo.nl · checked 2026-08-03
Show 15 more sources
- EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics — validated PM2.5 station data EEA Air Quality Annual Statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Groningen-Europaweg) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Groningen-Europaweg) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-27
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Kadaster BRK Bestuurlijke Gebieden, current municipality boundary polygon in EPSG:28992; area is the polygon area converted from m² to km². api.pdok.nl · checked 2026-07-15
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- Percentage of households in the Dutch municipality with access to a fixed internet connection of at least 1 Gbps (1000 Mbit/s); availability, not subscribed plan, measured speed or FTTH-only coverage. services.arcgis.com · checked 2026-07-15
- Statistics Netherlands (CBS) citizenship distribution opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-28
- Statistics Netherlands (CBS) country_of_birth opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-29
- WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station GroningenApEelde_06280.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- Cost of Living in Groningen. Jun 2026. Prices in Groningen numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Wikidata (P2046) wikidata.org · checked 2026-07-14
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.