Nijmegen: population and statistics
Nijmegen has a population of 189,871 (2026) across 52.5 km², or 3,615 people per km². It ranks 10 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +10.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 189,871 residents
- 52.5 km²
- 3,615 people/km²
- 26 m
Key points
Among the 51 municipalities in Gelderland, Nijmegen ranks No. 1 by population.
Average household size: 1.8 persons in Nijmegen, compared with an average of 2.2 persons in Gelderland and 2.1 persons nationally.
Housing association dwellings: 38.5% in Nijmegen, compared with an average of 26.3% in Gelderland and 27.9% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 21.5% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,027 kWh a year here.
Nijmegen in numbers
Where is Nijmegen?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Berg en Dal4.8 km · 35,700
- Lingewaard6.4 km · 47,802
- Beuningen6.9 km · 26,868
- Overbetuwe7.7 km · 49,266
- Heumen9.2 km · 16,978
- Mook en Middelaar11 km · 8,192
- Wijchen11 km · 42,106
- Westervoort15 km · 15,253
All municipalities in Gelderland
All municipalities in Arnhem/Nijmegen (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Nijmegen over time
Nijmegen had 172,064 residents in 2016 and 189,871 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 177,359 |
| 2022 | 179,100 |
| 2023 | 182,480 |
| 2024 | 187,049 |
| 2025 | 189,007 |
| 2026 | 189,871 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Gelderland for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Gelderland for “Population density”.
- “Average household size”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Housing association dwellings”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,356 football pitches.
- Its population density is 6.7 times the national average.
All indicators for Nijmegen
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 | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 17.2% | 22.4% | 23.6% | ranked 324 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 13.0% | 14.9% | 14.8% | ranked 297 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.2 ‰ | −0.9 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 65 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 9.3 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 92 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 87,825 dwellings | 958,419 | 8,274,510 | ranked 10 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 19.5% | 15.1% | 13.1% | ranked 80 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 23.6% | 21.5% | 19.9% | ranked 82 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 52.7% | 73.5% | 79.5% | ranked 321 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 43.9% | 61.6% | 66.7% | ranked 331 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 38.5% | 26.3% | 23.7% | ranked 8 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 426,000 € | 443,080 € | 438,000 € | ranked 192 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 27.5 ‰ | 18.1 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 42 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 710 m³ | 858 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 307 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,250 kWh | 2,769 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 330 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 16% | 10% | 7% | ranked 28 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 30% | 43% | 46% | ranked 309 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 8% | 11% | 12% | ranked 285 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 7 ha | 358 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 97 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 78.6% | 85.9% | 90.3% | ranked 305 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 9.3% | 4.2% | 0.1% | ranked 27 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 580 kWh | 1,103 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 321 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 988 Wp | 1,812 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 282 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 142.9 ‰ | 202.5 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 316 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 52,700 € | 61,678 € | 63,450 € | ranked 316 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 25,190 | 298,620 | 2,612,530 | ranked 15 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 132.7 ‰ | 137.4 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 189 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.5% | ranked 91 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 5.5% | 3.1% | 2.3% | ranked 9 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 373 ‰ | 485 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 328 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 1.8 km | 4.0 km | 4.6 km | ranked 315 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.8 persons | 2.2 | 2.2 | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 55.5% | 36.8% | 33.3% | ranked 8 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 64.0 ‰ | 36.1 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 11 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 34.2 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 7 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.7 ‰ | 4.0 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 37 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.5 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 35 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.7 km | 1.1 km | 1.0 km | ranked 298 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 365 kg | 438 kg | 468 kg | ranked 322 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 67.3% | 22.9% | 16.8% | ranked 11 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 10.0% | 45.1% | 58.8% | ranked 327 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 7.3% | 26.8% | 11.7% | ranked 225 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.9 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km | ranked 247 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Nijmegen | Gelderland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 46.8% | 31.9% | 28.5% | ranked 18 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Nijmegen: 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
78.6% in 2022, compared with 81.9% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
9.3% in 2022, compared with 5.9% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
988 Wp in 2025, compared with 224 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
142.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 55.7 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
64.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 67.4 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
34.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 39.1 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.7 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.5 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Nijmegen
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 3.5 |
| February | 38 | 3.8 |
| March | 81 | 6.3 |
| April | 128 | 10.1 |
| May | 155 | 13.9 |
| June | 165 | 17.4 |
| July | 162 | 18.9 |
| August | 136 | 18.2 |
| September | 98 | 15.6 |
| October | 57 | 11.9 |
| November | 29 | 7.3 |
| December | 18 | 4.6 |
Business sectors: Nijmegen
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical21.5% ×1.0
- Health and social work18.1% ×1.7
- Wholesale and retail trade10.9% ×0.8
- Education7.9% ×1.4
- Arts, entertainment and recreation7.7% ×1.4
- Construction6.4% ×0.6
- Information and communication5.9% ×1.1
- Administrative and support services5.0% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Nijmegen?
Nijmegen has 189,871 residents (2026), ranking 10 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Nijmegen?
Nijmegen covers 52.5 km², with a density of 3,615 people per km².
Is the population of Nijmegen growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Nijmegen went from 172,064 to 189,871, a change of +10.3%.
Where is Nijmegen?
Nijmegen is in Gelderland. It belongs to Arnhem/Nijmegen (COROP region). Latitude 51.847, longitude 5.862.
Average household size: what is the figure for Nijmegen?
In Nijmegen, “Average household size” stands at 1.8 persons (2025), ranking 332 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 2.2 persons.
Housing association dwellings: what is the figure for Nijmegen?
In Nijmegen, “Housing association dwellings” stands at 38.5% (2024), ranking 8 of 340 municipalities; the national median is 23.7%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Nijmegen?
In Nijmegen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,027 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Nijmegen?
The nearest to Nijmegen are Berg en Dal (4.8 km), Lingewaard (6.4 km), Beuningen (6.9 km), Overbetuwe (7.7 km), Heumen (9.2 km).