Enschede: population and statistics
Enschede has a population of 162,683 (2026) across 140.7 km², or 1,156 people per km². It ranks 17 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +2.7% between 2016 and 2026.
- 162,683 residents
- 140.7 km²
- 1,156 people/km²
- 44 m
Key points
Among the 25 municipalities in Overijssel, Enschede ranks No. 1 by population.
Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65: 5.7% in Enschede, compared with an average of 3.4% in Overijssel and 3.5% nationally.
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants: 36.6 ‰ in Enschede, compared with an average of 16.5 ‰ in Overijssel and 19.8 ‰ nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 19.7% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,007 kWh a year here.
Enschede in numbers
Where is Enschede?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Hengelo8.3 km · 84,045
- Losser8.8 km · 23,472
- Oldenzaal10 km · 32,033
- Haaksbergen13 km · 24,313
- Borne13 km · 25,038
- Dinkelland18 km · 26,958
- Hof van Twente21 km · 35,775
- Almelo21 km · 75,166
All municipalities in Overijssel
All municipalities in Twente (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Enschede over time
Enschede had 158,351 residents in 2016 and 162,683 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 159,732 |
| 2022 | 160,640 |
| 2023 | 161,235 |
| 2024 | 161,738 |
| 2025 | 162,317 |
| 2026 | 162,683 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Overijssel for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Overijssel for “Single-person households”.
- “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Housing association dwellings”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 19,704 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.1 times the national average.
All indicators for Enschede
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 | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 19.0% | 21.4% | 23.6% | ranked 306 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 13.4% | 15.2% | 14.8% | ranked 281 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −2.1 ‰ | −0.5 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 206 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 5.8 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 186 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 77,688 dwellings | 531,844 | 8,274,510 | ranked 13 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 19.3% | 16.1% | 13.1% | ranked 83 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 19.0% | 21.1% | 19.9% | ranked 186 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 62.9% | 74.8% | 79.5% | ranked 294 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 48.3% | 61.9% | 66.7% | ranked 324 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 36.3% | 26.3% | 23.7% | ranked 11 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 332,000 € | 395,811 € | 438,000 € | ranked 310 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.3 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 173 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 730 m³ | 877 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 294 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,540 kWh | 2,784 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 279 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 17% | 9% | 7% | ranked 25 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 29% | 45% | 46% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 8% | 12% | 12% | ranked 285 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 43 ha | 295 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 23 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 72.9% | 86.8% | 90.3% | ranked 321 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 15.3% | 3.3% | 0.1% | ranked 17 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 700 kWh | 1,244 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 298 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,218 Wp | 2,004 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 250 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 149.7 ‰ | 214.3 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 306 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 52,600 € | 60,610 € | 63,450 € | ranked 318 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 18,425 | 149,080 | 2,612,530 | ranked 19 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 113.3 ‰ | 124.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 305 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% | ranked 58 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 5.7% | 3.4% | 2.3% | ranked 5 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 417 ‰ | 482 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 312 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.7 km | 3.9 km | 4.6 km | ranked 243 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.9 persons | 2.2 | 2.2 | ranked 320 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 47.9% | 36.1% | 33.3% | ranked 18 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 65.0 ‰ | 37.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 10 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 36.6 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 5 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.1 ‰ | 4.3 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 27 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.9 ‰ | 4.3 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 51 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.7 km | 1.1 km | 1.0 km | ranked 298 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 371 kg | 429 kg | 468 kg | ranked 314 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 28.8% | 20.9% | 16.8% | ranked 103 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 47.2% | 60.0% | 58.8% | ranked 228 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 17.6% | 14.8% | 11.7% | ranked 119 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.9 km | 1.3 km | 1.2 km | ranked 247 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Enschede | Overijssel | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 30.8% | 29.5% | 28.5% | ranked 126 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | ranked 219 of 342 |
Enschede: 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
72.9% in 2022, compared with 73.3% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
15.3% in 2022, compared with 14.3% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,218 Wp in 2025, compared with 323 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
149.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 44.5 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
65.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 57.3 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
36.6 ‰ in 2025, compared with 29.5 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
5.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.8 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
4.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.2 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Enschede
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 3.0 |
| February | 38 | 3.4 |
| March | 80 | 5.9 |
| April | 126 | 9.9 |
| May | 154 | 13.8 |
| June | 164 | 17.3 |
| July | 161 | 18.8 |
| August | 135 | 18.1 |
| September | 96 | 15.3 |
| October | 55 | 11.5 |
| November | 27 | 6.8 |
| December | 16 | 4.1 |
Business sectors: Enschede
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical19.7% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade17.5% ×1.4
- Health and social work11.8% ×1.1
- Construction7.7% ×0.7
- Information and communication6.4% ×1.2
- Other service activities6.2% ×1.2
- Arts, entertainment and recreation6.0% ×1.1
- Education5.5% ×0.9
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Enschede?
Enschede has 162,683 residents (2026), ranking 17 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Enschede?
Enschede covers 140.7 km², with a density of 1,156 people per km².
Is the population of Enschede growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Enschede went from 158,351 to 162,683, a change of +2.7%.
Where is Enschede?
Enschede is in Overijssel. It belongs to Twente (COROP region). Latitude 52.222, longitude 6.893.
Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65: what is the figure for Enschede?
In Enschede, “Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65” stands at 5.7% (2026), ranking 5 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 2.3%.
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Enschede?
In Enschede, “Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 36.6 ‰ (2025), ranking 5 of 320 municipalities; the national median is 11.7 ‰.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Enschede?
In Enschede, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,007 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Enschede?
The nearest to Enschede are Hengelo (8.3 km), Losser (8.8 km), Oldenzaal (10 km), Haaksbergen (13 km), Borne (13 km).