Achtkarspelen: population and statistics
Achtkarspelen has a population of 28,254 (2026) across 102.1 km², or 277 people per km². It ranks 202 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +0.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 28,254 residents
- 102.1 km²
- 277 people/km²
- −1 m
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in Friesland, Achtkarspelen ranks No. 10 by population.
Residents with a higher professional or university degree: 17.9% in Achtkarspelen, compared with an average of 26.5% in Friesland and 33.2% nationally.
Household waste per inhabitant: 725 kg in Achtkarspelen, compared with an average of 595 kg in Friesland and 455 kg nationally.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 19.6% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,012 kWh a year here.
Achtkarspelen in numbers
Where is Achtkarspelen?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Tytsjerksteradiel9.1 km · 32,874
- Dantumadiel12 km · 19,231
- Smallingerland13 km · 57,188
- Noardeast-Fryslân14 km · 45,935
- Westerkwartier15 km · 65,067
- Noordenveld21 km · 31,737
- Leeuwarden23 km · 130,162
- Opsterland24 km · 30,068
All municipalities in Friesland
All municipalities in Noord-Friesland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Achtkarspelen over time
Achtkarspelen had 28,007 residents in 2016 and 28,254 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,900 |
| 2022 | 27,954 |
| 2023 | 28,149 |
| 2024 | 28,226 |
| 2025 | 28,200 |
| 2026 | 28,254 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Average household size”.
- “Residents with a higher professional or university degree”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Household waste per inhabitant”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 14,301 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Tytsjerksteradiel, 9.1 km away.
All indicators for Achtkarspelen
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 22.8% | 23.9% | 23.6% | ranked 214 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 15.7% | 14.6% | 14.8% | ranked 100 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −0.1 ‰ | −2.2 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 116 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | −0.8 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 313 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 12,416 dwellings | 312,294 | 8,274,510 | ranked 204 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 15.1% | 21.7% | 13.1% | ranked 146 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 13.3% | 17.1% | 19.9% | ranked 292 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 87.0% | 80.0% | 79.5% | ranked 48 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 64.0% | 62.6% | 66.7% | ranked 222 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 30.0% | 26.2% | 23.7% | ranked 57 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 327,000 € | 335,172 € | 438,000 € | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.8 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 261 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 1,000 m³ | 910 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 47 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,760 kWh | 2,570 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 192 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 5% | 7% | 7% | ranked 236 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 45% | 48% | 46% | ranked 183 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 11% | 12% | 12% | ranked 178 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 10 ha | 284 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 79 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 92.4% | 89.5% | 90.3% | ranked 61 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.1% | ranked 191 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,290 kWh | 1,289 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 154 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,915 Wp | 2,214 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 143 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 218.4 ‰ | 242.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 188 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 54,000 € | 55,151 € | 63,450 € | ranked 307 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 3,480 | 88,090 | 2,612,530 | ranked 224 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 123.2 ‰ | 132.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 263 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.3% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 86 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 546 ‰ | 510 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 82 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 7.2 km | 8.8 km | 4.6 km | ranked 114 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.3 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 55 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 32.3% | 38.2% | 33.3% | ranked 207 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 19.1 ‰ | 31.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 318 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.1 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 310 of 320 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.8 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 24 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 725 kg | 595 kg | 468 kg | ranked 9 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 13.0% | 11.6% | 16.8% | ranked 210 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 82.6% | 77.6% | 58.8% | ranked 21 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 2.8% | 8.6% | 11.7% | ranked 291 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.7 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 40 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Achtkarspelen | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 17.9% | 26.5% | 28.5% | ranked 336 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Achtkarspelen: indicators over time
Indicators available for several years. Hover over or tap a chart to read the value for each year.
Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler
92.4% in 2022, compared with 96.1% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,915 Wp in 2025, compared with 923 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
218.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 70.1 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
19.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 25.0 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
5.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 6.2 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Achtkarspelen
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 3.4 |
| February | 36 | 3.5 |
| March | 80 | 5.6 |
| April | 128 | 9.0 |
| May | 156 | 12.6 |
| June | 161 | 15.9 |
| July | 160 | 17.8 |
| August | 134 | 17.4 |
| September | 93 | 15.1 |
| October | 52 | 11.5 |
| November | 25 | 7.2 |
| December | 15 | 4.6 |
Business sectors: Achtkarspelen
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Wholesale and retail trade19.6% ×1.5
- Construction18.8% ×1.8
- Professional, scientific and technical12.7% ×0.6
- Health and social work7.3% ×0.7
- Other service activities6.9% ×1.3
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing6.8% ×2.2
- Administrative and support services4.9% ×0.9
- Manufacturing4.6% ×1.3
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Achtkarspelen?
Achtkarspelen has 28,254 residents (2026), ranking 202 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Achtkarspelen?
Achtkarspelen covers 102.1 km², with a density of 277 people per km².
Is the population of Achtkarspelen growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Achtkarspelen went from 28,007 to 28,254, a change of +0.9%.
Where is Achtkarspelen?
Achtkarspelen is in Friesland. It belongs to Noord-Friesland (COROP region). Latitude 53.217, longitude 6.133.
Residents with a higher professional or university degree: what is the figure for Achtkarspelen?
In Achtkarspelen, “Residents with a higher professional or university degree” stands at 17.9% (2024), ranking 336 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 28.5%.
Household waste per inhabitant: what is the figure for Achtkarspelen?
In Achtkarspelen, “Household waste per inhabitant” stands at 725 kg (2024), ranking 9 of 340 municipalities; the national median is 468 kg.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Achtkarspelen?
In Achtkarspelen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,012 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Achtkarspelen?
The nearest to Achtkarspelen are Tytsjerksteradiel (9.1 km), Dantumadiel (12 km), Smallingerland (13 km), Noardeast-Fryslân (14 km), Westerkwartier (15 km).