Breda: population and statistics
Breda has a population of 190,204 (2026) across 125.7 km², or 1,513 people per km². It ranks 9 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +4.7% between 2016 and 2026.
- 190,204 residents
- 125.7 km²
- 1,513 people/km²
- 9 m
Key points
Among the 56 municipalities in North Brabant, Breda ranks No. 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 25.5% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,031 kWh a year here.
Breda in numbers
Where is Breda?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Oosterhout8.4 km · 58,726
- Etten-Leur9.8 km · 46,117
- Gilze en Rijen11 km · 28,437
- Alphen-Chaam12 km · 10,495
- Drimmelen12 km · 28,402
- Dongen12 km · 27,673
- Geertruidenberg14 km · 21,914
- Zundert15 km · 23,088
All municipalities in North Brabant
All municipalities in West-Noord-Brabant (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Breda over time
Breda had 181,611 residents in 2016 and 190,204 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 184,126 |
| 2022 | 184,702 |
| 2023 | 186,438 |
| 2024 | 188,078 |
| 2025 | 188,779 |
| 2026 | 190,204 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in North Brabant for “Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “Housing stock”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Business establishments”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings without natural gas”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 17,602 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.8 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Oosterhout, 8.4 km away.
All indicators for Breda
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 | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 19.8% | 22.0% | 23.6% | ranked 293 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 14.1% | 14.4% | 14.8% | ranked 230 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −1.1 ‰ | −0.9 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 160 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 4.9 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 207 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 88,201 dwellings | 1,201,666 | 8,274,510 | ranked 9 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 15.9% | 10.8% | 13.1% | ranked 132 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 20.9% | 21.5% | 19.9% | ranked 137 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 59.5% | 74.1% | 79.5% | ranked 305 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 55.4% | 61.6% | 66.7% | ranked 302 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 28.4% | 26.6% | 23.7% | ranked 78 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 462,000 € | 450,866 € | 438,000 € | ranked 135 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 18.7 ‰ | 21.7 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 147 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 660 m³ | 824 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 322 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,550 kWh | 2,814 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 272 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 26% | 13% | 7% | ranked 11 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 28% | 42% | 46% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 9% | 13% | 12% | ranked 256 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 34 ha | 319 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 29 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 67.2% | 84.3% | 90.3% | ranked 330 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 22.1% | 5.8% | 0.1% | ranked 10 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 700 kWh | 1,160 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 298 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,214 Wp | 1,877 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 251 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 144.1 ‰ | 203.7 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 315 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 63,100 € | 63,189 € | 63,450 € | ranked 173 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 30,280 | 375,525 | 2,612,530 | ranked 8 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 159.2 ‰ | 140.3 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 51 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.5% | ranked 28 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.3% | ranked 56 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 444 ‰ | 494 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 285 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 3.2 km | 6.3 km | 4.6 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.0 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 293 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 44.0% | 37.2% | 33.3% | ranked 24 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 61.6 ‰ | 44.5 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 13 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 27.6 ‰ | 19.2 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 17 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.9 ‰ | 4.4 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 5 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.4 ‰ | 5.0 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 13 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | 1.0 km | ranked 242 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 474 kg | 457 kg | 468 kg | ranked 161 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 37.2% | 28.1% | 16.8% | ranked 70 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 44.1% | 50.6% | 58.8% | ranked 238 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 12.5% | 16.0% | 11.7% | ranked 162 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.8 km | 1.1 km | 1.2 km | ranked 288 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Breda | North Brabant | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 41.3% | 32.2% | 28.5% | ranked 41 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Breda: 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
67.2% in 2022, compared with 68.6% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
22.1% in 2022, compared with 21.2% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,214 Wp in 2025, compared with 230 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
144.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 35.0 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
61.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 61.3 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
27.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 27.7 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.9 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
6.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.0 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Breda
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 23 | 3.8 |
| February | 40 | 4.1 |
| March | 82 | 6.5 |
| April | 128 | 10.1 |
| May | 155 | 13.8 |
| June | 164 | 17.2 |
| July | 159 | 18.8 |
| August | 136 | 18.1 |
| September | 99 | 15.6 |
| October | 58 | 12.1 |
| November | 29 | 7.5 |
| December | 18 | 4.8 |
Business sectors: Breda
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical25.5% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade13.3% ×1.0
- Health and social work11.6% ×1.1
- Construction7.2% ×0.7
- Education6.6% ×1.1
- Information and communication6.0% ×1.1
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.5% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services5.2% ×1.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Breda?
Breda has 190,204 residents (2026), ranking 9 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Breda?
Breda covers 125.7 km², with a density of 1,513 people per km².
Is the population of Breda growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Breda went from 181,611 to 190,204, a change of +4.7%.
Where is Breda?
Breda is in North Brabant. It belongs to West-Noord-Brabant (COROP region). Latitude 51.587, longitude 4.775.
Housing stock: what is the figure for Breda?
In Breda, “Housing stock” stands at 88,201 dwellings (2025), ranking 9 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 14,880 dwellings.
Business establishments: what is the figure for Breda?
In Breda, “Business establishments” stands at 30,280 (2026), ranking 8 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 4,478.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Breda?
In Breda, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,031 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Breda?
The nearest to Breda are Oosterhout (8.4 km), Etten-Leur (9.8 km), Gilze en Rijen (11 km), Alphen-Chaam (12 km), Drimmelen (12 km).