Leeuwarden: population and statistics
Leeuwarden has a population of 130,162 (2026) across 237.4 km², or 548 people per km². It ranks 22 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.3% between 2018 and 2026.
- 130,162 residents
- 237.4 km²
- 548 people/km²
- 3 m
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in Friesland, Leeuwarden ranks No. 1 by population.
Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65: 6.4% in Leeuwarden, compared with an average of 4.1% in Friesland and 3.5% nationally.
Average disposable income per household: 50,400 € in Leeuwarden, compared with an average of 55,151 € in Friesland and 61,843 € nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 19.9% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,033 kWh a year here.
Leeuwarden in numbers
Where is Leeuwarden?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Tytsjerksteradiel14 km · 32,874
- Dantumadiel16 km · 19,231
- Waadhoeke16 km · 47,158
- Noardeast-Fryslân23 km · 45,935
- Achtkarspelen23 km · 28,254
- Harlingen23 km · 16,270
- Smallingerland24 km · 57,188
- Súdwest-Fryslân27 km · 90,521
All municipalities in Friesland
All municipalities in Noord-Friesland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Leeuwarden over time
Leeuwarden had 122,415 residents in 2018 and 130,162 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 124,481 |
| 2022 | 125,504 |
| 2023 | 127,073 |
| 2024 | 128,810 |
| 2025 | 129,973 |
| 2026 | 130,162 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Friesland for “Population change over 10 years”.
- “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average disposable income per household”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 33,244 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Tytsjerksteradiel, 14.4 km away.
All indicators for Leeuwarden
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 | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 20.2% | 23.9% | 23.6% | ranked 283 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 13.9% | 14.6% | 14.8% | ranked 242 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −0.2 ‰ | −2.2 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 122 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 9.3 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 92 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 65,879 dwellings | 312,294 | 8,274,510 | ranked 20 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 27.2% | 21.7% | 13.1% | ranked 22 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 17.8% | 17.1% | 19.9% | ranked 213 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 62.6% | 80.0% | 79.5% | ranked 295 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 51.0% | 62.6% | 66.7% | ranked 319 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 27.7% | 26.2% | 23.7% | ranked 96 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 282,000 € | 335,172 € | 438,000 € | ranked 333 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.0 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 179 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 780 m³ | 910 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 271 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,230 kWh | 2,570 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 331 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 11% | 7% | 7% | ranked 52 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 35% | 48% | 46% | ranked 282 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 11% | 12% | 12% | ranked 178 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 44 ha | 284 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 22 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 82.1% | 89.5% | 90.3% | ranked 290 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 3.2% | 0.8% | 0.1% | ranked 57 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 840 kWh | 1,289 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 274 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,447 Wp | 2,214 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 209 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 193.0 ‰ | 242.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 243 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 50,400 € | 55,151 € | 63,450 € | ranked 328 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 16,560 | 88,090 | 2,612,530 | ranked 25 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 127.2 ‰ | 132.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 235 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 14 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 6.4% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 3 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 428 ‰ | 510 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 305 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 3.3 km | 8.8 km | 4.6 km | ranked 210 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.9 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 320 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 49.0% | 38.2% | 33.3% | ranked 15 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 54.9 ‰ | 31.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 27 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 25.0 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 26 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.7 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 12 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.6 ‰ | 4.1 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 32 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.9 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 198 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 471 kg | 595 kg | 468 kg | ranked 165 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 17.0% | 11.6% | 16.8% | ranked 165 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 73.9% | 77.6% | 58.8% | ranked 87 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 5.6% | 8.6% | 11.7% | ranked 249 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.4 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 93 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Leeuwarden | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 32.4% | 26.5% | 28.5% | ranked 105 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.8 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 124 of 342 |
Leeuwarden: 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
82.1% in 2022, compared with 85.6% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
3.2% in 2022, compared with 3.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,447 Wp in 2025, compared with 497 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
193.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 84.5 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
54.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 53.3 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
25.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 22.8 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.9 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 6.7 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Leeuwarden
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 3.8 |
| February | 37 | 3.8 |
| March | 82 | 5.7 |
| April | 130 | 9.0 |
| May | 158 | 12.6 |
| June | 164 | 15.8 |
| July | 161 | 17.8 |
| August | 136 | 17.5 |
| September | 93 | 15.3 |
| October | 53 | 11.8 |
| November | 25 | 7.6 |
| December | 16 | 5.0 |
Business sectors: Leeuwarden
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical19.9% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade14.1% ×1.1
- Health and social work10.6% ×1.0
- Construction8.1% ×0.8
- Arts, entertainment and recreation7.3% ×1.3
- Education6.8% ×1.2
- Other service activities6.5% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services5.3% ×1.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Leeuwarden?
Leeuwarden has 130,162 residents (2026), ranking 22 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Leeuwarden?
Leeuwarden covers 237.4 km², with a density of 548 people per km².
Is the population of Leeuwarden growing?
Between 2018 and 2026, the population of Leeuwarden went from 122,415 to 130,162, a change of +6.3%.
Where is Leeuwarden?
Leeuwarden is in Friesland. It belongs to Noord-Friesland (COROP region). Latitude 53.200, longitude 5.783.
Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65: what is the figure for Leeuwarden?
In Leeuwarden, “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65” stands at 6.4% (2026), ranking 3 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 2.3%.
Average disposable income per household: what is the figure for Leeuwarden?
In Leeuwarden, “Average disposable income per household” stands at 50,400 € (2024), ranking 328 of 336 municipalities; the national median is 63,450 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Leeuwarden?
In Leeuwarden, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,033 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Leeuwarden?
The nearest to Leeuwarden are Tytsjerksteradiel (14 km), Dantumadiel (16 km), Waadhoeke (16 km), Noardeast-Fryslân (23 km), Achtkarspelen (23 km).