Súdwest-Fryslân: population and statistics
Súdwest-Fryslân has a population of 90,521 (2026) across 522.8 km², or 173 people per km². It ranks 42 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.0% between 2018 and 2026.
- 90,521 residents
- 522.8 km²
- 173 people/km²
- 0 m
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in Friesland, Súdwest-Fryslân ranks No. 2 by population.
Share of agricultural land (excluding water): 85.9% in Súdwest-Fryslân, compared with an average of 77.6% in Friesland and 44.5% nationally.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: 2.1 km in Súdwest-Fryslân, compared with an average of 1.6 km in Friesland and 1.1 km nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 17.3% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 41° generates about 1,071 kWh a year here.
Súdwest-Fryslân in numbers
Where is Súdwest-Fryslân?
Neighbouring municipalities
- De Fryske Marren12 km · 52,248
- Waadhoeke21 km · 47,158
- Harlingen22 km · 16,270
- Leeuwarden27 km · 130,162
- Weststellingwerf33 km · 26,622
- Noordoostpolder34 km · 51,930
- Heerenveen34 km · 51,955
- Opsterland35 km · 30,068
All municipalities in Friesland
All municipalities in Zuidwest-Friesland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Súdwest-Fryslân over time
Súdwest-Fryslân had 89,594 residents in 2018 and 90,521 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 89,999 |
| 2022 | 90,300 |
| 2023 | 90,883 |
| 2024 | 90,421 |
| 2025 | 90,534 |
| 2026 | 90,521 |
Did you know?
- “Share of agricultural land (excluding water)”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest GP practice”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings built before 1946”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 73,221 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.1 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is De Fryske Marren, 12.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Groningen (244,427 residents), 72 km away.
All indicators for Súdwest-Fryslân
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 | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 25.2% | 23.9% | 23.6% | ranked 103 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 14.7% | 14.6% | 14.8% | ranked 176 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −1.7 ‰ | −2.2 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 190 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 3.0 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 250 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 43,118 dwellings | 312,294 | 8,274,510 | ranked 39 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 24.2% | 21.7% | 13.1% | ranked 33 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 16.7% | 17.1% | 19.9% | ranked 237 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 81.0% | 80.0% | 79.5% | ranked 156 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 65.2% | 62.6% | 66.7% | ranked 200 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 25.7% | 26.2% | 23.7% | ranked 133 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 346,000 € | 335,172 € | 438,000 € | ranked 298 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.6 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 288 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 920 m³ | 910 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 138 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,550 kWh | 2,570 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 272 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 5% | 7% | 7% | ranked 236 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 46% | 48% | 46% | ranked 168 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 10% | 12% | 12% | ranked 223 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 6 ha | 284 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 100 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 90.9% | 89.5% | 90.3% | ranked 141 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.1% | ranked 143 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,320 kWh | 1,289 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 142 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,739 Wp | 2,214 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 167 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 237.6 ‰ | 242.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 127 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 56,000 € | 55,151 € | 63,450 € | ranked 288 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 12,990 | 88,090 | 2,612,530 | ranked 34 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 143.5 ‰ | 132.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 118 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 58 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.8% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 56 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 506 ‰ | 510 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 173 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 5.0 km | 8.8 km | 4.6 km | ranked 165 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 37.0% | 38.2% | 33.3% | ranked 90 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 30.5 ‰ | 31.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 180 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.4 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 193 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.3 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 58 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.4 ‰ | 4.1 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 120 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.5 km | 1.5 km | 1.0 km | ranked 53 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 590 kg | 595 kg | 468 kg | ranked 46 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 8.1% | 11.6% | 16.8% | ranked 291 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 85.9% | 77.6% | 58.8% | ranked 12 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 4.2% | 8.6% | 11.7% | ranked 268 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 2.1 km | 1.6 km | 1.2 km | ranked 15 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Súdwest-Fryslân | Friesland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 26.4% | 26.5% | 28.5% | ranked 222 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.0 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 36 of 342 |
Súdwest-Fryslân: 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
90.9% in 2022, compared with 92.8% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.2% in 2022, compared with 0.1% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,739 Wp in 2025, compared with 550 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
237.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 86.5 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
30.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 35.3 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
10.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 11.2 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.2 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
3.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.4 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Súdwest-Fryslân
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 4.1 |
| February | 37 | 4.0 |
| March | 83 | 5.9 |
| April | 132 | 9.3 |
| May | 162 | 12.8 |
| June | 170 | 16.0 |
| July | 166 | 18.0 |
| August | 139 | 17.8 |
| September | 96 | 15.6 |
| October | 55 | 12.1 |
| November | 26 | 7.9 |
| December | 16 | 5.3 |
Business sectors: Súdwest-Fryslân
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical17.3% ×0.8
- Wholesale and retail trade12.8% ×1.0
- Construction10.3% ×1.0
- Health and social work9.6% ×0.9
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.4% ×2.7
- Manufacturing7.2% ×2.0
- Other service activities5.4% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.2% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Súdwest-Fryslân?
Súdwest-Fryslân has 90,521 residents (2026), ranking 42 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Súdwest-Fryslân?
Súdwest-Fryslân covers 522.8 km², with a density of 173 people per km².
Is the population of Súdwest-Fryslân growing?
Between 2018 and 2026, the population of Súdwest-Fryslân went from 89,594 to 90,521, a change of +1.0%.
Where is Súdwest-Fryslân?
Súdwest-Fryslân is in Friesland. It belongs to Zuidwest-Friesland (COROP region). Latitude 53.000, longitude 5.544.
Share of agricultural land (excluding water): what is the figure for Súdwest-Fryslân?
In Súdwest-Fryslân, “Share of agricultural land (excluding water)” stands at 85.9% (2022), ranking 12 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 58.8%.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: what is the figure for Súdwest-Fryslân?
In Súdwest-Fryslân, “Average distance to the nearest GP practice” stands at 2.1 km (2025), ranking 15 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1.2 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Súdwest-Fryslân?
In Súdwest-Fryslân, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 41° produces about 1,071 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Súdwest-Fryslân?
The nearest to Súdwest-Fryslân are De Fryske Marren (12 km), Waadhoeke (21 km), Harlingen (22 km), Leeuwarden (27 km), Weststellingwerf (33 km).