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Living in Zwolle

Zwolle is a city in the Netherlands. The unemployment rate was 3.5% at the end of 2024. Zwolle had a population of 134,147 at the start of 2026. The foreign population count was 27,971 at the start of 2025.

Higher unemployment than 77% of Dutch cities that publish it and more recorded crime than 91% of Dutch cities that publish it.

Which Netherlands-wide rules apply when you move to Zwolle?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in NetherlandsNational rates and thresholds that apply in Zwolle.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Zwolle. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Zwolle recurring monthly costs, € per month€846Private kindergarten€104Transport pass€81Utilities, 85 m² flat€37Internet, 60 Mbps€17Fitness club€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly17.41 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited36.54 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly845.9 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant14.93 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass104.5 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home80.56 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Housing Stock Total58,492 dwellings31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Rental Share Pct47 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Zwolle?

The unemployment rate is 3.5 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8

Unemployment across cities in NetherlandsUnemployment in Zwolle is 3.5%. Of 337 cities with data, 146 have unemployment of 3 to under 3.5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Netherlands per band1 city: 2% to under 2.5%12–2.5113 cities: 2.5% to under 3%1132.5–3146 cities: 3% to under 3.5%1463–3.551 cities: 3.5% to under 4%513.5–4Zwolle 3.5%16 cities: 4% to under 4.5%164–4.56 cities: 4.5% to under 5%64.5–54 cities: 5% to under 5.5%45–5.5

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability96.93 %2025 Q1Percentage 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.18Official
Median Income Eur Year35,700 EUR/year31 Dec 2024CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek4Official
Unemployment rate3.5 %country median 3.1%31 Dec 2024CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality8Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2011–2024
Unemployment rate in Zwolle by year, %3.2%4.7%6.2%7.8%201120152019202120243.5%%

Unemployment rate fell 43.1% between 2011 and 2024, from 6.2% to 3.5%.

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Zwolle. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

UWV public employment service — Public employment service

Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (UWV)

Job Search
Open official service
Open the Netherlands service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Zwolle. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count45 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official
School Count88 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Safety

How safe is Zwolle?

Police recorded 5,320 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: 5,320 offences per 100,000 · CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249
Recorded crime across major citiesZwolle highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Zwolle highlighted8,970Amsterdam8,200Rotterdam7,990Eindhoven6,970Arnhem6,890's-Gravenhage6,800Utrecht6,280Nijmegen6,160Groningen5,870Breda5,560Tilburg5,320Zwolle4,280Almererecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,320 offences per 100,000country median 3,08031 Dec 2024CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 20249Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was GRQ, 74.3 km away, with 5 listed destinations in June 2026. Car density was 453.4 vehicles per 1,000 residents at the start of 2025. Gigabit broadband availability was 96.9% in Q1 2025.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport5 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat16Official
Nearest airportGRQ13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official
Distance to nearest airport74.3 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv17Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Zwolle. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Blik op Werk integration-provider quality register — Other

Blik op Werk

For integration-course applicants.

DutchIn Person, Online
Open official information

DUO choosing an integration course — State Language Course

Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO)

For people who must integrate.

DutchIn Person
Open official information
Open the full Netherlands section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Zwolle.

Climate and air quality

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Zwolle annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit154013.0PM1010407.0NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean7 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen)11Official · nearest-station reading
PM10 — annual mean13 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen)12Official · nearest-station reading
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.03 · Feb 16.92 · Mar 20.39 · Apr 26.28 · May 28.04 · Jun 32.33 · Jul 35.25 · Aug 31.65 · Sep 29.37 · Oct 24.31 · Nov 19.21 · Dec 13.47 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -15.83 · Feb -17.43 · Mar -11.62 · Apr -4 · May 0.33 · Jun 4.31 · Jul 8 · Aug 7.02 · Sep 3.65 · Oct -3.52 · Nov -6.47 · Dec -12.11 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.11 · Feb 2.55 · Mar 5.18 · Apr 9.32 · May 13.03 · Jun 16.27 · Jul 18.17 · Aug 17.81 · Sep 14.67 · Oct 10.55 · Nov 6.36 · Dec 3.11 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center15Official

Cities of a similar size in Netherlands

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Netherlands cities
Zoetermeer130,836 residentsLeiden130,328 residentsLeeuwarden130,162 residentsMaastricht126,026 residentsEde125,331 residentsDordrecht122,991 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 119.4 km² in 2026. Population density was 1,125 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Zwolle?

The published population was 134,147 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Zwolle (GM0193)6

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Zwolle residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport79.1%Foreign residents20.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Address Density2,101 addresses/km²27 Aug 2026CBS2Official
Area119.3 km²10 Jun 2026Wikidata (P2046)22Independent · gemeente
Cars per 1,000 residents453.4 cars/1000 residents1 Jan 2025CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official
City area119.4 km²28 Jan 2026Kadaster BRK Bestuurlijke Gebieden, current municipality boundary polygon in EPSG:28992; area is the polygon area converted from m² to km².14Official
Foreign-resident share4.1 %31 Dec 2024Eurostat13Official
Foreign residents27,971 people1 Jan 2025CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.7Official
Population density1,125 people/km²10 Jun 2026CBS2Official · gemeente
Population134,147 people10 Jun 2026CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Zwolle (GM0193)6Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2014–2025
Foreign residents in Zwolle by year, residents76910,50820,24729,9862014201620202022202527,971residents

Foreign residents rose 901.1% between 2014 and 2025, from 2,794 to 27,971.

International community in Zwolle

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 groupPeopleShare
Born in the Netherlands118,46588.3%
Born outside the Netherlands15,68211.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20

Citizenship

Residents in the Dutch population register; 1 January · 2025-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Totaal133,810100.0%
Nederlands128,02795.7%
Totaal niet-Nederlandse nationaliteit5,7834.3%
Buiten-Europa2,8262.1%
Europa (exclusief Nederlands)2,7842.1%
Azië2,0501.5%
Europese Unie (exclusief Nederlands)1,8211.4%
Azië (exclusief Indonesisch en Turks)1,6421.2%
Syrisch7930.6%
Oekraïens7230.5%
Show 55 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Midden- en Oost-Europese nat. in de EU6550.5%
GIPS-Nationaliteiten in de EU5410.4%
Afrika5320.4%
Afrika (exclusief Marokkaans)4590.3%
Turks3500.3%
Burger van Bondsrepubliek Duitsland3100.2%
Pools2960.2%
Spaans2730.2%
Chinees2300.2%
Amerika2270.2%
Amerika en Oceanië (exclusief Surinaams)2170.2%
Staatloos / onbekend1730.1%
Eritrees1690.1%
Italiaans1330.1%
Brits1320.1%
Belgisch1020.1%
Afghaans1000.1%
Hongaars860.1%
Portugees840.1%
Indiaas820.1%
Roemeens800.1%
Frans780.1%
Jemenitisch760.1%
Marokkaans730.1%
Amerikaans700.1%
Iraans700.1%
Bulgaars650.0%
Zuid-Afrikaans620.0%
Iraaks610.0%
Indonesisch580.0%
Russisch520.0%
Grieks510.0%
Egyptisch360.0%
Zweeds350.0%
Nigeriaans330.0%
Somalisch310.0%
Braziliaans300.0%
Colombiaans290.0%
Iers290.0%
Pakistaans280.0%
Surinaams270.0%
Litouws260.0%
Zuid-Koreaans260.0%
Lets240.0%
Vietnamees240.0%
Thais230.0%
Slowaaks220.0%
Kroatisch210.0%
Tsjechisch200.0%
Japans190.0%
Oostenrijks180.0%
Oceanië170.0%
Filippijns150.0%
Canadees130.0%
Ghanees90.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19

Is Zwolle 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.

Try your profile
Remote worker39%strong on work, weak on safety · range 30–48%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%
Student48%strong on education, weak on housing · range 41–55%
Family52%strong on family, weak on cost · range 44–60%
Retirement35%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 24–46%
Foreign residents27,971 people1 Jan 2025Official source · CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, municipality-grain passenger-car universe (Personenauto's totaal) divided by the same-table municipality population.
Population134,147 people10 Jun 2026Official source · CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Zwolle (GM0193)
Gigabit broadband availability96.93 %2025 Q1Official source · 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.
Unemployment rate3.5 %31 Dec 2024Official source · CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality
NO₂ — annual mean7 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen)
PM10 — annual mean13 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Avg Download Mbps 2024250 Mbps27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Avg Woz Value K Eur252 kEUR31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Banen Total111,300 jobs31 Dec 2024CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek5Official
Fttp Nl 5g Availabilitytrue27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Fttp Nl Avg Pct95 %27 Aug 2026ACM1Official
Owner Occupied Share Pct53 pct31 Dec 2020CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek3Official
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Zwolle 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 guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Zwolle?

The published population was 134,147 people in January 2026. Source: CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Zwolle (GM0193).

How safe is Zwolle?

Police recorded 5,320 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 Zwolle?

The unemployment rate is 3.5 % (2024). Source: CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Zwolle?

27,971 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..

How much is public transport in Zwolle?

A monthly transport pass is 104.5 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Zwolle a good place to live?

Zwolle 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 Zwolle?

The official country of birth distribution records 118,465 people (88.3%) 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). Zwolle, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/zwolle/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_zwolle-netherlands-rent-salary-jobs_78d69a093850,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Zwolle, 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/zwolle/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Zwolle, Netherlands: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nl/zwolle/) — 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

JSON Markdown
  1. ACM acm.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  2. CBS opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  3. CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-11
  4. CBS - Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  5. CBS — Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-06-12
  6. CBS — Population on 1 January 2026, municipality Zwolle (GM0193) CBS · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-14
  7. 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
  8. CBS labour market in figures 2024 — unemployment by municipality CBS labour market in figures 2024 · longreads.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
  9. CBS StatLine 83648NED — registered crime by municipality, total, 2024 CBS StatLine 83648NED · opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-07-26
  10. DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) duo.nl · checked 2026-08-03
Show 12 more sources
  1. EEA air quality statistics — NL NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  2. EEA air quality statistics — NL PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Barsbeek-De Veenen) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  4. 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
  5. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  7. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  8. 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
  9. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) citizenship distribution opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-28
  10. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) country_of_birth opendata.cbs.nl · checked 2026-08-29
  11. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  12. 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.