De Fryske Marren: population and statistics
De Fryske Marren has a population of 52,248 (2026) across 351.0 km², or 149 people per km². It ranks 88 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 52,248 residents
- 351.0 km²
- 149 people/km²
- −2 m
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in Friesland, De Fryske Marren ranks No. 4 by population.
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants: 2.1 ‰ in De Fryske Marren, compared with an average of 4.2 ‰ in Friesland and 4.4 ‰ nationally.
Single-family dwellings: 90.2% in De Fryske Marren, compared with an average of 80.0% in Friesland and 64.0% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 18.7% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,057 kWh a year here.
De Fryske Marren in numbers
Where is De Fryske Marren?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Súdwest-Fryslân12 km · 90,521
- Weststellingwerf22 km · 26,622
- Noordoostpolder24 km · 51,930
- Heerenveen25 km · 51,955
- Opsterland27 km · 30,068
- Urk30 km · 22,431
- Waadhoeke31 km · 47,158
- Leeuwarden31 km · 130,162
All municipalities in Friesland
All municipalities in Zuidwest-Friesland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of De Fryske Marren over time
De Fryske Marren had 51,265 residents in 2016 and 52,248 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 51,778 |
| 2022 | 51,597 |
| 2023 | 51,992 |
| 2024 | 51,929 |
| 2025 | 52,235 |
| 2026 | 52,248 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling”.
- “Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Single-family dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Household waste per inhabitant”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 49,160 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.6 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Súdwest-Fryslân (90,521 residents), 12 km away.
All indicators for De Fryske Marren
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 | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 26.0% | 23.9% | 23.6% | ranked 84 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 14.6% | 14.6% | 14.8% | ranked 188 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −3.3 ‰ | −2.2 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 247 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 9.1 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 100 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 23,886 dwellings | 312,294 | 8,274,510 | ranked 87 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 17.2% | 21.7% | 13.1% | ranked 114 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 16.7% | 17.1% | 19.9% | ranked 237 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 90.2% | 80.0% | 79.5% | ranked 12 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 69.9% | 62.6% | 66.7% | ranked 116 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 22.8% | 26.2% | 23.7% | ranked 186 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 393,000 € | 335,172 € | 438,000 € | ranked 244 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.3 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 268 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 940 m³ | 910 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 115 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,810 kWh | 2,570 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 171 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 6% | 7% | 7% | ranked 184 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 57% | 48% | 46% | ranked 36 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 13% | 12% | 12% | ranked 96 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 36 ha | 284 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 27 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 93.2% | 89.5% | 90.3% | ranked 33 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) | 1,660 kWh | 1,289 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 39 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 3,055 Wp | 2,214 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 51 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 284.4 ‰ | 242.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 32 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 60,100 € | 55,151 € | 63,450 € | ranked 227 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 8,150 | 88,090 | 2,612,530 | ranked 75 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 156.0 ‰ | 132.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 64 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | 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) | 2.5% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 139 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 543 ‰ | 510 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 89 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 13.7 km | 8.8 km | 4.6 km | ranked 38 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.2 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 134 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 32.8% | 38.2% | 33.3% | ranked 184 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 22.0 ‰ | 31.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 293 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.9 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 273 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.1 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 167 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.3 ‰ | 4.1 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 172 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.5 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 53 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 677 kg | 595 kg | 468 kg | ranked 16 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 7.2% | 11.6% | 16.8% | ranked 307 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 81.3% | 77.6% | 58.8% | ranked 34 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 9.0% | 8.6% | 11.7% | ranked 202 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 2.0 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 19 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | De Fryske Marren | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 27.4% | 26.5% | 28.5% | ranked 198 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.0 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 36 of 342 |
De Fryske Marren: 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
93.2% in 2022, compared with 95.7% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
3,055 Wp in 2025, compared with 566 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
284.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 92.1 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
22.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 26.6 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
6.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 8.8 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
2.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 3.5 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
2.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 2.8 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: De Fryske Marren
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 3.9 |
| February | 37 | 3.9 |
| March | 83 | 5.9 |
| April | 131 | 9.3 |
| May | 160 | 12.9 |
| June | 168 | 16.1 |
| July | 165 | 18.0 |
| August | 138 | 17.7 |
| September | 96 | 15.5 |
| October | 55 | 11.9 |
| November | 26 | 7.7 |
| December | 16 | 5.1 |
Business sectors: De Fryske Marren
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical18.7% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade12.9% ×1.0
- Construction11.3% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing9.1% ×3.0
- Health and social work8.0% ×0.8
- Manufacturing6.0% ×1.7
- Other service activities5.4% ×1.0
- Education4.8% ×0.8
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of De Fryske Marren?
De Fryske Marren has 52,248 residents (2026), ranking 88 of 342 municipalities.
How big is De Fryske Marren?
De Fryske Marren covers 351.0 km², with a density of 149 people per km².
Is the population of De Fryske Marren growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of De Fryske Marren went from 51,265 to 52,248, a change of +1.9%.
Where is De Fryske Marren?
De Fryske Marren is in Friesland. It belongs to Zuidwest-Friesland (COROP region). Latitude 52.925, longitude 5.683.
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for De Fryske Marren?
In De Fryske Marren, “Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 2.1 ‰ (2025), ranking 167 of 171 municipalities; the national median is 3.8 ‰.
Single-family dwellings: what is the figure for De Fryske Marren?
In De Fryske Marren, “Single-family dwellings” stands at 90.2% (2024), ranking 12 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 79.5%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in De Fryske Marren?
In De Fryske Marren, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,057 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border De Fryske Marren?
The nearest to De Fryske Marren are Súdwest-Fryslân (12 km), Weststellingwerf (22 km), Noordoostpolder (24 km), Heerenveen (25 km), Opsterland (27 km).