Haarlem: population and statistics
Haarlem has a population of 168,898 (2026) across 29.2 km², or 5,786 people per km². It ranks 13 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.8% between 2016 and 2026.
- 168,898 residents
- 29.2 km²
- 5,786 people/km²
- 9 m
Key points
Among the 44 municipalities in North Holland, Haarlem ranks No. 2 by population.
Dwellings built before 1946: 47.7% in Haarlem, compared with an average of 25.0% in North Holland and 18.0% nationally.
Average distance to a large supermarket: 0.5 km in Haarlem, compared with an average of 0.8 km in North Holland and 1.0 km nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 25.6% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,070 kWh a year here.
Haarlem in numbers
Where is Haarlem?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Bloemendaal2.4 km · 23,554
- Heemstede3.4 km · 27,556
- Zandvoort7.1 km · 17,335
- Haarlemmermeer9.2 km · 166,978
- Velsen9.6 km · 70,361
- Hillegom11 km · 23,078
- Beverwijk12 km · 43,052
- Zaanstad14 km · 165,201
All municipalities in North Holland
All municipalities in Agglomeratie Haarlem (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Haarlem over time
Haarlem had 158,140 residents in 2016 and 168,898 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 162,543 |
| 2022 | 162,898 |
| 2023 | 165,396 |
| 2024 | 167,636 |
| 2025 | 168,743 |
| 2026 | 168,898 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in North Holland for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in North Holland for “Elevation”.
- “Dwellings built before 1946”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to a large supermarket”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest school”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,088 football pitches.
- Its population density is 10.7 times the national average.
All indicators for Haarlem
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 | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 17.9% | 19.4% | 23.6% | ranked 319 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 16.0% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 80 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.5 ‰ | 0.7 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 56 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 5.2 ‰ | 4.6 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 197 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 80,429 dwellings | 1,420,067 | 8,274,510 | ranked 12 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 47.7% | 25.0% | 13.1% | ranked 1 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 14.3% | 20.8% | 19.9% | ranked 274 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 48.1% | 50.2% | 79.5% | ranked 325 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 53.0% | 51.8% | 66.7% | ranked 316 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 28.7% | 30.5% | 23.7% | ranked 73 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 548,000 € | 524,447 € | 438,000 € | ranked 42 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.7 ‰ | 22.5 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 166 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 800 m³ | 746 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 254 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,160 kWh | 2,350 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 335 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 7% | 13% | 7% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 21% | 28% | 46% | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 8% | 8% | 12% | ranked 285 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 191 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 81.6% | 80.6% | 90.3% | ranked 294 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 1.3% | 8.8% | 0.1% | ranked 75 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 370 kWh | 600 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 335 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 444 Wp | 890 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 336 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 107.1 ‰ | 137.7 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 332 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 62,200 € | 65,353 € | 63,450 € | ranked 193 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 29,515 | 533,195 | 2,612,530 | ranked 9 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 174.8 ‰ | 177.2 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 25 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.5% | ranked 28 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | ranked 89 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 358 ‰ | 385 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.5 km | 3.7 km | 4.6 km | ranked 267 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.0 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 293 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 43.9% | 43.0% | 33.3% | ranked 25 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 55.9 ‰ | 56.3 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 26 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 27.7 ‰ | 27.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 16 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.4 ‰ | 4.8 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 19 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.9 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 51 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.5 km | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | ranked 341 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 400 kg | 445 kg | 468 kg | ranked 284 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 68.7% | 44.6% | 16.8% | ranked 8 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 14.7% | 33.6% | 58.8% | ranked 315 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 3.0% | 11.0% | 11.7% | ranked 286 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.6 km | 0.9 km | 1.2 km | ranked 338 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Haarlem | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 45.2% | 39.0% | 28.5% | ranked 25 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.5 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 339 of 342 |
Haarlem: 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
81.6% in 2022, compared with 82.7% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
1.3% in 2022, compared with 0.5% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
444 Wp in 2025, compared with 129 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
107.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 32.2 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
55.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 52.8 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
27.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 26.7 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.6 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
4.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.2 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Haarlem
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 4.4 |
| February | 39 | 4.3 |
| March | 85 | 6.3 |
| April | 134 | 9.5 |
| May | 164 | 13.0 |
| June | 173 | 16.2 |
| July | 168 | 18.1 |
| August | 138 | 17.8 |
| September | 96 | 15.7 |
| October | 55 | 12.4 |
| November | 26 | 8.1 |
| December | 17 | 5.5 |
Business sectors: Haarlem
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical25.6% ×1.2
- Health and social work10.5% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade9.9% ×0.8
- Construction8.9% ×0.8
- Education7.7% ×1.3
- Arts, entertainment and recreation7.5% ×1.4
- Information and communication7.3% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services5.3% ×1.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Haarlem?
Haarlem has 168,898 residents (2026), ranking 13 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Haarlem?
Haarlem covers 29.2 km², with a density of 5,786 people per km².
Is the population of Haarlem growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Haarlem went from 158,140 to 168,898, a change of +6.8%.
Where is Haarlem?
Haarlem is in North Holland. It belongs to Agglomeratie Haarlem (COROP region). Latitude 52.381, longitude 4.636.
Dwellings built before 1946: what is the figure for Haarlem?
In Haarlem, “Dwellings built before 1946” stands at 47.7% (2024), ranking 1 of 338 municipalities; the national median is 13.1%.
Average distance to a large supermarket: what is the figure for Haarlem?
In Haarlem, “Average distance to a large supermarket” stands at 0.5 km (2025), ranking 341 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1.0 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Haarlem?
In Haarlem, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,070 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Haarlem?
The nearest to Haarlem are Bloemendaal (2.4 km), Heemstede (3.4 km), Zandvoort (7.1 km), Haarlemmermeer (9.2 km), Velsen (9.6 km).