Vaals: population and statistics
Vaals has a population of 10,106 (2026) across 23.9 km², or 423 people per km². It ranks 331 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +4.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 10,106 residents
- 23.9 km²
- 423 people/km²
- 223 m
Key points
Among the 31 municipalities in Limburg, Vaals ranks No. 30 by population.
Share of residents under 15: 10.4% in Vaals, compared with an average of 12.6% in Limburg and 14.8% nationally.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: 266,000 € in Vaals, compared with an average of 351,319 € in Limburg and 440,410 € nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 16.3% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,048 kWh a year here.
Vaals in numbers
Where is Vaals?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Simpelveld7.7 km · 10,459
- Gulpen-Wittem9.9 km · 13,945
- Kerkrade11 km · 45,824
- Heerlen13 km · 87,764
- Voerendaal15 km · 12,432
- Landgraaf15 km · 36,844
- Valkenburg aan de Geul17 km · 16,481
- Eijsden-Margraten19 km · 26,350
All municipalities in Zuid-Limburg (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Vaals over time
Vaals had 9,632 residents in 2016 and 10,106 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,084 |
| 2022 | 10,135 |
| 2023 | 10,190 |
| 2024 | 10,121 |
| 2025 | 10,007 |
| 2026 | 10,106 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Elevation”.
- Number 1 in Limburg for “Average distance to the nearest railway station”.
- “Share of residents under 15”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average disposable income per household”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,346 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Simpelveld, 7.7 km away.
All indicators for Vaals
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 | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 30.2% | 26.2% | 23.6% | ranked 11 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 10.4% | 12.6% | 14.8% | ranked 339 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −10.7 ‰ | −4.3 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 340 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | −0.6 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 312 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 5,875 dwellings | 551,489 | 8,274,510 | ranked 314 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 17.6% | 15.4% | 13.1% | ranked 108 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 17.6% | 14.5% | 19.9% | ranked 218 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 52.2% | 72.3% | 79.5% | ranked 322 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 44.5% | 61.1% | 66.7% | ranked 329 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 27.0% | 25.2% | 23.7% | ranked 117 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 266,000 € | 351,319 € | 438,000 € | ranked 338 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.4 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 337 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 970 m³ | 887 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 78 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,320 kWh | 2,783 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 3% | 6% | 7% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 29% | 44% | 46% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 7% | 11% | 12% | ranked 306 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) | 70.9% | 88.3% | 90.3% | ranked 325 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) | 760 kWh | 1,254 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 288 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 828 Wp | 1,958 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 303 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 178.8 ‰ | 225.6 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 273 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 46,900 € | 56,081 € | 63,450 € | ranked 334 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 925 | 133,200 | 2,612,530 | ranked 338 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 91.5 ‰ | 117.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 337 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.2% | 1.9% | 1.5% | ranked 265 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 4.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | ranked 20 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 478 ‰ | 520 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 234 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 14.6 km | 3.9 km | 4.6 km | ranked 33 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.8 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 50.4% | 39.8% | 33.3% | ranked 11 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 39.1 ‰ | 45.6 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 85 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.1 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 42 of 320 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.6 km | 1.0 km | 1.0 km | ranked 42 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 467 kg | 489 kg | 468 kg | ranked 172 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 10.4% | 32.1% | 16.8% | ranked 258 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 55.2% | 46.3% | 58.8% | ranked 192 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 31.0% | 15.4% | 11.7% | ranked 54 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.5 km | 1.1 km | 1.2 km | ranked 73 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Vaals | Limburg | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 30.7% | 28.5% | 28.5% | ranked 130 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.0 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 36 of 342 |
Vaals: 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
70.9% in 2022, compared with 73.2% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.0% in 2022, compared with 0.0% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
828 Wp in 2025, compared with 292 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
178.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 79.8 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
39.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 43.7 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
20.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 21.7 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Vaals
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 24 | 2.0 |
| February | 42 | 2.6 |
| March | 83 | 5.2 |
| April | 126 | 8.9 |
| May | 153 | 12.7 |
| June | 164 | 16.3 |
| July | 163 | 17.8 |
| August | 136 | 17.1 |
| September | 102 | 14.4 |
| October | 61 | 10.9 |
| November | 31 | 6.1 |
| December | 20 | 3.3 |
Business sectors: Vaals
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical16.3% ×0.8
- Wholesale and retail trade14.1% ×1.1
- Health and social work10.9% ×1.0
- Construction10.3% ×1.0
- Other service activities8.7% ×1.6
- Accommodation and food services8.2% ×2.4
- Administrative and support services5.4% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.4% ×1.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vaals?
Vaals has 10,106 residents (2026), ranking 331 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Vaals?
Vaals covers 23.9 km², with a density of 423 people per km².
Is the population of Vaals growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Vaals went from 9,632 to 10,106, a change of +4.9%.
Where is Vaals?
Vaals is in Limburg. It belongs to Zuid-Limburg (COROP region). Latitude 50.769, longitude 6.018.
Share of residents under 15: what is the figure for Vaals?
In Vaals, “Share of residents under 15” stands at 10.4% (2026), ranking 339 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 14.8%.
Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings: what is the figure for Vaals?
In Vaals, “Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings” stands at 266,000 € (2026), ranking 338 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 438,000 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Vaals?
In Vaals, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,048 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Vaals?
The nearest to Vaals are Simpelveld (7.7 km), Gulpen-Wittem (9.9 km), Kerkrade (11 km), Heerlen (13 km), Voerendaal (15 km).