Westerwolde: population and statistics
Westerwolde has a population of 25,267 (2026) across 275.6 km², or 91.7 people per km². It ranks 230 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +2.4% between 2018 and 2026.
- 25,267 residents
- 275.6 km²
- 92 people/km²
- −3 m
Key points
Among the 10 municipalities in Groningen, Westerwolde ranks No. 9 by population.
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant: 11,194 Wp in Westerwolde, compared with an average of 3,264 Wp in Groningen and 1,605 Wp nationally.
Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international): 36.4 ‰ in Westerwolde, compared with an average of 4.7 ‰ in Groningen and 6.0 ‰ nationally.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 14.3% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,002 kWh a year here.
Westerwolde in numbers
Where is Westerwolde?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Oldambt9.0 km · 39,746
- Pekela9.6 km · 12,579
- Stadskanaal16 km · 32,110
- Veendam17 km · 27,825
- Midden-Groningen26 km · 61,346
- Aa en Hunze27 km · 26,062
- Borger-Odoorn31 km · 26,162
- Eemsdelta33 km · 44,846
All municipalities in Groningen
All municipalities in Oost-Groningen (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Westerwolde over time
Westerwolde had 24,684 residents in 2018 and 25,267 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,215 |
| 2022 | 26,571 |
| 2023 | 26,537 |
| 2024 | 26,465 |
| 2025 | 27,421 |
| 2026 | 25,267 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Groningen for “Share of residents aged 65 and over”.
- Number 1 in Groningen for “Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international)”.
- “Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international)”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Residents with a higher professional or university degree”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 38,605 football pitches.
- Its population density is 5.9 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Westerwolde
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 | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 29.6% | 21.7% | 23.6% | ranked 21 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 12.5% | 13.0% | 14.8% | ranked 309 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −7.0 ‰ | −2.4 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 326 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 36.4 ‰ | 4.7 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 4 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 12,050 dwellings | 294,247 | 8,274,510 | ranked 209 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 29.7% | 25.6% | 13.1% | ranked 14 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 11.8% | 18.1% | 19.9% | ranked 314 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 85.2% | 65.2% | 79.5% | ranked 83 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 68.0% | 55.1% | 66.7% | ranked 150 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 21.7% | 27.9% | 23.7% | ranked 211 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 331,000 € | 327,549 € | 438,000 € | ranked 311 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.4 ‰ | 21.1 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 317 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 1,140 m³ | 895 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 5 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 3,060 kWh | 2,496 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 63 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 4% | 8% | 7% | ranked 287 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 44% | 46% | 46% | ranked 199 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 10% | 13% | 12% | ranked 223 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 105 ha | 642 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 5 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 89.7% | 86.6% | 90.3% | ranked 188 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.0% | 1.6% | 0.1% | ranked 191 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,320 kWh | 1,136 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 142 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 11,194 Wp | 3,264 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 2 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 209.8 ‰ | 243.4 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 213 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 53,500 € | 51,751 € | 63,450 € | ranked 310 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 3,075 | 71,990 | 2,612,530 | ranked 258 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 121.7 ‰ | 119.7 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 273 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.5% | ranked 91 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.4% | 4.6% | 2.3% | ranked 79 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 558 ‰ | 459 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 54 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 14.8 km | 5.0 km | 4.6 km | ranked 32 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 33.7% | 45.9% | 33.3% | ranked 161 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 40.3 ‰ | 43.2 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 77 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 18.2 ‰ | 19.6 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 60 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.7 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 87 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.9 ‰ | 4.7 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 24 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 2.1 km | 1.2 km | 1.0 km | ranked 13 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 624 kg | 463 kg | 468 kg | ranked 29 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 6.4% | 18.7% | 16.8% | ranked 318 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 85.5% | 71.2% | 58.8% | ranked 13 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 6.6% | 6.2% | 11.7% | ranked 235 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.9 km | 1.3 km | 1.2 km | ranked 24 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Westerwolde | Groningen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 18.7% | 31.4% | 28.5% | ranked 333 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.4 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 6 of 342 |
Westerwolde: 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
89.7% in 2022, compared with 90.0% in 2018
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2018
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
11,194 Wp in 2025, compared with 439 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
209.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 68.1 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
40.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 38.5 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
18.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 18.6 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
3.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.0 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 6.2 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Westerwolde
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 19 | 2.9 |
| February | 35 | 3.3 |
| March | 79 | 5.6 |
| April | 126 | 9.5 |
| May | 154 | 13.2 |
| June | 162 | 16.5 |
| July | 160 | 18.2 |
| August | 134 | 17.7 |
| September | 94 | 15.1 |
| October | 54 | 11.3 |
| November | 24 | 6.8 |
| December | 15 | 4.1 |
Business sectors: Westerwolde
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Wholesale and retail trade14.3% ×1.1
- Professional, scientific and technical13.5% ×0.6
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing13.0% ×4.2
- Construction12.6% ×1.2
- Health and social work8.3% ×0.8
- Other service activities6.6% ×1.2
- Manufacturing5.5% ×1.6
- Accommodation and food services4.5% ×1.3
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Westerwolde?
Westerwolde has 25,267 residents (2026), ranking 230 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Westerwolde?
Westerwolde covers 275.6 km², with a density of 92 people per km².
Is the population of Westerwolde growing?
Between 2018 and 2026, the population of Westerwolde went from 24,684 to 25,267, a change of +2.4%.
Where is Westerwolde?
Westerwolde is in Groningen. It belongs to Oost-Groningen (COROP region). Latitude 53.092, longitude 7.127.
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant: what is the figure for Westerwolde?
In Westerwolde, “Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant” stands at 11,194 Wp (2025), ranking 2 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1,707 Wp.
Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international): what is the figure for Westerwolde?
In Westerwolde, “Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international)” stands at 36.4 ‰ (2024), ranking 4 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 6.5 ‰.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Westerwolde?
In Westerwolde, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,002 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Westerwolde?
The nearest to Westerwolde are Oldambt (9.0 km), Pekela (9.6 km), Stadskanaal (16 km), Veendam (17 km), Midden-Groningen (26 km).