During the reign of Napoleon, both villages were finally combined into one municipality. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the population stayed relatively stable at about 1,500 inhabitants. However, between 1910 and 1940 the population increased from 1,600 to 3,500 inhabitants when people started moving to the village for economic reasons. It was the scene of heavy fighting at the end of the Second World War, particularly during "Operation Market Garden". From 1960 onwards, Son en Breugel continued to grow. As of August 2002, the number of inhabitants was estimated at 15,000.