Harderwijk: population and statistics
Harderwijk has a population of 50,655 (2026) across 38.9 km², or 1,302 people per km². It ranks 95 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +10.2% between 2016 and 2026.
- 50,655 residents
- 38.9 km²
- 1,302 people/km²
- 6 m
Key points
Among the 51 municipalities in Gelderland, Harderwijk ranks No. 8 by population.
Dwellings built since 2000: 31.0% in Harderwijk, compared with an average of 21.5% in Gelderland and 20.4% nationally.
Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water): 39.5% in Harderwijk, compared with an average of 26.8% in Gelderland and 13.5% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 20.1% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,012 kWh a year here.
Harderwijk in numbers
Where is Harderwijk?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Ermelo5.7 km · 28,199
- Zeewolde7.1 km · 24,612
- Putten10 km · 25,170
- Nunspeet11 km · 29,688
- Nijkerk17 km · 46,283
- Elburg18 km · 24,039
- Bunschoten20 km · 22,905
- Dronten20 km · 45,443
All municipalities in Gelderland
All municipalities in Veluwe (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Harderwijk over time
Harderwijk had 45,966 residents in 2016 and 50,655 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 48,726 |
| 2022 | 48,857 |
| 2023 | 48,906 |
| 2024 | 49,387 |
| 2025 | 50,042 |
| 2026 | 50,655 |
Did you know?
- “Dwellings built since 2000”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water)”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 5,451 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.4 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Ermelo, 5.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Lelystad (85,781 residents), 21 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,048 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Harderwijk
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 | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 20.4% | 22.4% | 23.6% | ranked 278 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 16.0% | 14.9% | 14.8% | ranked 80 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.4 ‰ | −0.9 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 61 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 11.9 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 53 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 22,045 dwellings | 958,419 | 8,274,510 | ranked 98 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 7.3% | 15.1% | 13.1% | ranked 283 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 31.0% | 21.5% | 19.9% | ranked 17 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 66.4% | 73.5% | 79.5% | ranked 276 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 59.0% | 61.6% | 66.7% | ranked 274 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 27.1% | 26.3% | 23.7% | ranked 113 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 448,000 € | 443,080 € | 438,000 € | ranked 160 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 26.0 ‰ | 18.1 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 57 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 800 m³ | 858 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 254 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,580 kWh | 2,769 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 259 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 7% | 10% | 7% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 39% | 43% | 46% | ranked 251 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 11% | 11% | 12% | ranked 178 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 358 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 87.8% | 85.9% | 90.3% | ranked 245 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.6% | 4.2% | 0.1% | ranked 99 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 880 kWh | 1,103 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 267 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,104 Wp | 1,812 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 268 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 186.4 ‰ | 202.5 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 262 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 62,400 € | 61,678 € | 63,450 € | ranked 188 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 6,940 | 298,620 | 2,612,530 | ranked 100 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 137.0 ‰ | 137.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 159 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | ranked 185 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 2.8% | 3.1% | 2.3% | ranked 115 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 460 ‰ | 485 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 270 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.8 km | 4.0 km | 4.6 km | ranked 240 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.3 persons | 2.2 | 2.2 | ranked 55 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 34.6% | 36.8% | 33.3% | ranked 134 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 40.1 ‰ | 36.1 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 78 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.9 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 98 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.5 ‰ | 4.0 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 46 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.5 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 117 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.9 km | 1.1 km | 1.0 km | ranked 198 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 452 kg | 438 kg | 468 kg | ranked 210 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 33.9% | 22.9% | 16.8% | ranked 81 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 19.5% | 45.1% | 58.8% | ranked 300 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 39.5% | 26.8% | 11.7% | ranked 34 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.0 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km | ranked 206 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Harderwijk | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 29.8% | 31.9% | 28.5% | ranked 151 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Harderwijk: 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
87.8% in 2022, compared with 90.9% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.6% in 2022, compared with 0.5% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,104 Wp in 2025, compared with 346 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
186.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 62.4 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
40.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 40.6 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
14.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 16.9 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 3.4 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
3.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.0 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Harderwijk
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 3.5 |
| February | 37 | 3.7 |
| March | 80 | 6.0 |
| April | 127 | 9.7 |
| May | 152 | 13.5 |
| June | 163 | 16.8 |
| July | 159 | 18.5 |
| August | 134 | 17.8 |
| September | 95 | 15.3 |
| October | 55 | 11.7 |
| November | 26 | 7.2 |
| December | 17 | 4.5 |
Business sectors: Harderwijk
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical20.1% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade14.5% ×1.1
- Health and social work11.6% ×1.1
- Construction10.3% ×1.0
- Education6.8% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services6.2% ×1.2
- Other service activities5.9% ×1.1
- Information and communication5.0% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Harderwijk?
Harderwijk has 50,655 residents (2026), ranking 95 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Harderwijk?
Harderwijk covers 38.9 km², with a density of 1,302 people per km².
Is the population of Harderwijk growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Harderwijk went from 45,966 to 50,655, a change of +10.2%.
Where is Harderwijk?
Harderwijk is in Gelderland. It belongs to Veluwe (COROP region). Latitude 52.351, longitude 5.617.
Dwellings built since 2000: what is the figure for Harderwijk?
In Harderwijk, “Dwellings built since 2000” stands at 31.0% (2024), ranking 17 of 338 municipalities; the national median is 19.9%.
Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water): what is the figure for Harderwijk?
In Harderwijk, “Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water)” stands at 39.5% (2022), ranking 34 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 11.7%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Harderwijk?
In Harderwijk, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,012 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Harderwijk?
The nearest to Harderwijk are Ermelo (5.7 km), Zeewolde (7.1 km), Putten (10 km), Nunspeet (11 km), Nijkerk (17 km).