Zaanstad: population and statistics
Zaanstad has a population of 165,201 (2026) across 73.7 km², or 2,242 people per km². It ranks 15 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +8.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 165,201 residents
- 73.7 km²
- 2,242 people/km²
- −2 m
Key points
Among the 44 municipalities in North Holland, Zaanstad ranks No. 4 by population.
Housing association dwellings: 36.1% in Zaanstad, compared with an average of 30.5% in North Holland and 27.9% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 16.8% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,055 kWh a year here.
Zaanstad in numbers
Where is Zaanstad?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Oostzaan7.6 km · 9,778
- Wormerland7.7 km · 16,328
- Uitgeest8.0 km · 13,489
- Beverwijk8.3 km · 43,052
- Heemskerk8.4 km · 39,529
- Landsmeer10 km · 11,685
- Velsen11 km · 70,361
- Castricum12 km · 37,077
All municipalities in North Holland
All municipalities in Zaanstreek (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Zaanstad over time
Zaanstad had 152,466 residents in 2016 and 165,201 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 156,901 |
| 2022 | 157,166 |
| 2023 | 159,618 |
| 2024 | 161,389 |
| 2025 | 162,828 |
| 2026 | 165,201 |
Did you know?
- “Housing association dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Business establishments”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 10,319 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.2 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Oostzaan, 7.6 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Amsterdam (941,927 residents), 14 km away.
All indicators for Zaanstad
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 | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 18.8% | 19.4% | 23.6% | ranked 308 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 15.9% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 90 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.7 ‰ | 0.7 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 80 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 8.1 ‰ | 4.6 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 124 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 72,329 dwellings | 1,420,067 | 8,274,510 | ranked 17 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 18.9% | 25.0% | 13.1% | ranked 89 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 22.1% | 20.8% | 19.9% | ranked 110 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 61.6% | 50.2% | 79.5% | ranked 300 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 54.2% | 51.8% | 66.7% | ranked 310 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 36.1% | 30.5% | 23.7% | ranked 15 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 420,000 € | 524,447 € | 438,000 € | ranked 201 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 23.6 ‰ | 22.5 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 86 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 770 m³ | 746 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 276 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,390 kWh | 2,350 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 309 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 10% | 13% | 7% | ranked 61 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 28% | 28% | 46% | ranked 318 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 9% | 8% | 12% | ranked 256 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) | 86.5% | 80.6% | 90.3% | ranked 255 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 2.8% | 8.8% | 0.1% | ranked 60 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 600 kWh | 600 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 319 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 776 Wp | 890 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 309 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 132.8 ‰ | 137.7 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 320 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 57,300 € | 65,353 € | 63,450 € | ranked 268 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 23,695 | 533,195 | 2,612,530 | ranked 16 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 143.4 ‰ | 177.2 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 120 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1.5% | ranked 91 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.3% | ranked 71 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 418 ‰ | 385 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 310 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.1 km | 3.7 km | 4.6 km | ranked 292 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.2 persons | 2.0 | 2.2 | ranked 134 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 37.9% | 43.0% | 33.3% | ranked 76 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 47.2 ‰ | 56.3 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 44 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.4 ‰ | 27.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 40 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.3 ‰ | 4.8 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 58 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.2 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 45 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | ranked 298 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 467 kg | 445 kg | 468 kg | ranked 172 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 40.8% | 44.6% | 16.8% | ranked 54 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 37.5% | 33.6% | 58.8% | ranked 257 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 14.7% | 11.0% | 11.7% | ranked 140 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.9 km | 0.9 km | 1.2 km | ranked 247 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Zaanstad | North Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 27.9% | 39.0% | 28.5% | ranked 185 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.8 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 124 of 342 |
Zaanstad: 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
86.5% in 2022, compared with 86.8% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
2.8% in 2022, compared with 1.8% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
776 Wp in 2025, compared with 234 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
132.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 39.0 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
47.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 46.2 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
20.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 19.1 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.3 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.6 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Zaanstad
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 4.3 |
| February | 38 | 4.2 |
| March | 83 | 6.2 |
| April | 132 | 9.5 |
| May | 162 | 13.0 |
| June | 170 | 16.2 |
| July | 166 | 18.0 |
| August | 137 | 17.8 |
| September | 95 | 15.7 |
| October | 54 | 12.3 |
| November | 26 | 8.1 |
| December | 17 | 5.4 |
Business sectors: Zaanstad
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical16.8% ×0.8
- Construction16.5% ×1.6
- Wholesale and retail trade11.6% ×0.9
- Health and social work9.5% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services7.7% ×1.4
- Education5.8% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.5% ×1.0
- Transport and storage5.4% ×1.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zaanstad?
Zaanstad has 165,201 residents (2026), ranking 15 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Zaanstad?
Zaanstad covers 73.7 km², with a density of 2,242 people per km².
Is the population of Zaanstad growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zaanstad went from 152,466 to 165,201, a change of +8.4%.
Where is Zaanstad?
Zaanstad is in North Holland. It belongs to Zaanstreek (COROP region). Latitude 52.470, longitude 4.777.
Housing association dwellings: what is the figure for Zaanstad?
In Zaanstad, “Housing association dwellings” stands at 36.1% (2024), ranking 15 of 340 municipalities; the national median is 23.7%.
Business establishments: what is the figure for Zaanstad?
In Zaanstad, “Business establishments” stands at 23,695 (2026), ranking 16 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 4,478.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Zaanstad?
In Zaanstad, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,055 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Zaanstad?
The nearest to Zaanstad are Oostzaan (7.6 km), Wormerland (7.7 km), Uitgeest (8.0 km), Beverwijk (8.3 km), Heemskerk (8.4 km).