Gulpen-Wittem: population and statistics
Gulpen-Wittem has a population of 13,945 (2026) across 73.2 km², or 191 people per km². It ranks 310 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −3.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 13,945 residents
- 73.2 km²
- 191 people/km²
- 133 m
Key points
Among the 31 municipalities in Limburg, Gulpen-Wittem ranks No. 25 by population.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: 32.6% in Gulpen-Wittem, compared with an average of 26.2% in Limburg and 21.1% nationally.
New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants: 1.6 ‰ in Gulpen-Wittem, compared with an average of 13.8 ‰ in Limburg and 19.7 ‰ nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 18.5% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,068 kWh a year here.
Gulpen-Wittem in numbers
Where is Gulpen-Wittem?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Simpelveld6.3 km · 10,459
- Valkenburg aan de Geul7.2 km · 16,481
- Voerendaal7.6 km · 12,432
- Heerlen9.6 km · 87,764
- Vaals9.9 km · 10,106
- Eijsden-Margraten10 km · 26,350
- Meerssen13 km · 18,454
- Kerkrade13 km · 45,824
All municipalities in Zuid-Limburg (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Gulpen-Wittem over time
Gulpen-Wittem had 14,508 residents in 2016 and 13,945 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,206 |
| 2022 | 14,178 |
| 2023 | 14,210 |
| 2024 | 14,054 |
| 2025 | 14,017 |
| 2026 | 13,945 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Share of residents aged 65 and over”.
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Dwellings built before 1946”.
- “Share of residents aged 65 and over”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest school”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 10,249 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.8 times lower than the national average.
All indicators for Gulpen-Wittem
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 | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 32.6% | 26.2% | 23.6% | ranked 2 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 11.4% | 12.6% | 14.8% | ranked 331 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −8.0 ‰ | −4.3 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 5.4 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 193 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 6,936 dwellings | 551,489 | 8,274,510 | ranked 304 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 24.4% | 15.4% | 13.1% | ranked 30 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 11.8% | 14.5% | 19.9% | ranked 314 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 78.4% | 72.3% | 79.5% | ranked 186 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 67.0% | 61.1% | 66.7% | ranked 164 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 18.4% | 25.2% | 23.7% | ranked 278 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 398,000 € | 351,319 € | 438,000 € | ranked 234 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.6 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 341 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 1,010 m³ | 887 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 36 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,910 kWh | 2,783 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 132 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 3% | 6% | 7% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 43% | 44% | 46% | ranked 210 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 9% | 11% | 12% | ranked 256 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 112 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 89.0% | 88.3% | 90.3% | ranked 215 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.0% | 1.1% | 0.1% | ranked 191 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,440 kWh | 1,254 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 104 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,380 Wp | 1,958 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 224 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 229.6 ‰ | 225.6 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 152 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 58,100 € | 56,081 € | 63,450 € | ranked 256 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 1,920 | 133,200 | 2,612,530 | ranked 314 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 137.7 ‰ | 117.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 155 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.7% | 1.9% | 1.5% | ranked 58 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.9% | 3.6% | 2.3% | ranked 241 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 588 ‰ | 520 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 16 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 7.1 km | 3.9 km | 4.6 km | ranked 118 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 33.6% | 39.8% | 33.3% | ranked 164 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 30.7 ‰ | 45.6 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 174 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.6 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 121 of 320 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 2.1 km | 1.0 km | 1.0 km | ranked 13 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 554 kg | 489 kg | 468 kg | ranked 68 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 6.3% | 32.1% | 16.8% | ranked 320 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 74.4% | 46.3% | 58.8% | ranked 82 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 16.4% | 15.4% | 11.7% | ranked 131 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.8 km | 1.1 km | 1.2 km | ranked 34 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Gulpen-Wittem | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 31.8% | 28.5% | 28.5% | ranked 115 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.5 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 4 of 342 |
Gulpen-Wittem: 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
89.0% in 2022, compared with 89.5% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,380 Wp in 2025, compared with 447 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
229.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 86.6 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
30.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 32.2 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
13.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 14.5 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Gulpen-Wittem
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 2.7 |
| February | 42 | 3.3 |
| March | 84 | 5.9 |
| April | 130 | 9.6 |
| May | 159 | 13.4 |
| June | 168 | 17.0 |
| July | 167 | 18.6 |
| August | 139 | 17.9 |
| September | 104 | 15.1 |
| October | 61 | 11.6 |
| November | 32 | 6.8 |
| December | 20 | 4.0 |
Business sectors: Gulpen-Wittem
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical18.5% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services10.9% ×3.2
- Health and social work10.9% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade10.2% ×0.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.6% ×2.8
- Construction8.3% ×0.8
- Arts, entertainment and recreation6.5% ×1.2
- Education5.5% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gulpen-Wittem?
Gulpen-Wittem has 13,945 residents (2026), ranking 310 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Gulpen-Wittem?
Gulpen-Wittem covers 73.2 km², with a density of 191 people per km².
Is the population of Gulpen-Wittem growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Gulpen-Wittem went from 14,508 to 13,945, a change of −3.9%.
Where is Gulpen-Wittem?
Gulpen-Wittem is in Limburg. It belongs to Zuid-Limburg (COROP region). Latitude 50.816, longitude 5.898.
Share of residents aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Gulpen-Wittem?
In Gulpen-Wittem, “Share of residents aged 65 and over” stands at 32.6% (2026), ranking 2 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 23.6%.
New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Gulpen-Wittem?
In Gulpen-Wittem, “New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 1.6 ‰ (2025), ranking 341 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 17.4 ‰.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Gulpen-Wittem?
In Gulpen-Wittem, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,068 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Gulpen-Wittem?
The nearest to Gulpen-Wittem are Simpelveld (6.3 km), Valkenburg aan de Geul (7.2 km), Voerendaal (7.6 km), Heerlen (9.6 km), Vaals (9.9 km).