Gouda: population and statistics
Gouda has a population of 77,818 (2026) across 16.6 km², or 4,694 people per km². It ranks 51 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +9.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 77,818 residents
- 16.6 km²
- 4,694 people/km²
- 0 m
Key points
Among the 50 municipalities in South Holland, Gouda ranks No. 13 by population.
Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water): 71.2% in Gouda, compared with an average of 52.0% in South Holland and 34.3% nationally.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: 0.7 km in Gouda, compared with an average of 0.9 km in South Holland and 1.1 km nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 21.4% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,044 kWh a year here.
Gouda in numbers
Where is Gouda?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Bodegraven-Reeuwijk5.1 km · 37,291
- Waddinxveen5.2 km · 35,542
- Zuidplas6.2 km · 49,291
- Krimpenerwaard6.6 km · 57,898
- Oudewater11 km · 10,513
- Capelle aan den IJssel13 km · 69,698
- Krimpen aan den IJssel13 km · 29,864
- Alphen aan den Rijn13 km · 117,284
All municipalities in South Holland
All municipalities in Oost-Zuid-Holland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Gouda over time
Gouda had 71,189 residents in 2016 and 77,818 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 73,681 |
| 2022 | 74,095 |
| 2023 | 75,316 |
| 2024 | 75,758 |
| 2025 | 76,514 |
| 2026 | 77,818 |
Did you know?
- “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest GP practice”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Average electricity supplied per dwelling”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,322 football pitches.
- Its population density is 8.7 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, 5.1 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Alphen aan den Rijn (117,284 residents), 13 km away.
All indicators for Gouda
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 | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 20.9% | 19.5% | 23.6% | ranked 264 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 15.2% | 15.5% | 14.8% | ranked 135 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.0 ‰ | 0.8 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 70 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 9.1 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 100 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 35,205 dwellings | 1,773,459 | 8,274,510 | ranked 52 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 21.2% | 19.8% | 13.1% | ranked 63 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 14.1% | 20.3% | 19.9% | ranked 278 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 57.9% | 49.2% | 79.5% | ranked 311 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 56.3% | 53.3% | 66.7% | ranked 295 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 29.1% | 31.1% | 23.7% | ranked 68 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 404,000 € | 431,489 € | 438,000 € | ranked 225 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 25.8 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 59 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 720 m³ | 709 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 304 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,270 kWh | 2,422 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 325 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 6% | 13% | 7% | ranked 184 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 29% | 28% | 46% | ranked 315 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 9% | 8% | 12% | ranked 256 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 174 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 85.4% | 78.8% | 90.3% | ranked 268 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.3% | 7.7% | 0.1% | ranked 125 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 600 kWh | 641 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 319 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 639 Wp | 898 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 326 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 145.7 ‰ | 134.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 314 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 57,900 € | 62,019 € | 63,450 € | ranked 259 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 9,620 | 563,040 | 2,612,530 | ranked 55 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 123.6 ‰ | 145.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 258 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.5% | ranked 91 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 43 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 383 ‰ | 400 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 325 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 1.9 km | 5.6 km | 4.6 km | ranked 306 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 39.9% | 40.7% | 33.3% | ranked 53 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 49.8 ‰ | 50.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 39 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 21.3 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 36 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.3 ‰ | 4.5 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 58 of 171 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.5 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 35 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | ranked 298 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 365 kg | 421 kg | 468 kg | ranked 322 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 71.2% | 52.0% | 16.8% | ranked 7 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 17.0% | 28.5% | 58.8% | ranked 307 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 1.0% | 7.6% | 11.7% | ranked 324 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 0.7 km | 0.9 km | 1.2 km | ranked 323 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Gouda | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 36.0% | 33.2% | 28.5% | ranked 69 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.6 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 304 of 342 |
Gouda: 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
85.4% in 2022, compared with 87.3% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.3% in 2022, compared with 0.1% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
639 Wp in 2025, compared with 175 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
145.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 46.6 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
49.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 54.3 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
21.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 23.6 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.2 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.6 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Gouda
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 3.9 |
| February | 39 | 4.0 |
| March | 82 | 6.3 |
| April | 131 | 9.8 |
| May | 159 | 13.4 |
| June | 167 | 16.7 |
| July | 163 | 18.4 |
| August | 137 | 17.8 |
| September | 97 | 15.4 |
| October | 56 | 11.9 |
| November | 27 | 7.5 |
| December | 18 | 4.8 |
Business sectors: Gouda
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical21.4% ×1.0
- Health and social work13.6% ×1.3
- Construction12.0% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade11.8% ×0.9
- Education7.0% ×1.2
- Information and communication6.1% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services5.4% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.3% ×1.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gouda?
Gouda has 77,818 residents (2026), ranking 51 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Gouda?
Gouda covers 16.6 km², with a density of 4,694 people per km².
Is the population of Gouda growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Gouda went from 71,189 to 77,818, a change of +9.3%.
Where is Gouda?
Gouda is in South Holland. It belongs to Oost-Zuid-Holland (COROP region). Latitude 52.018, longitude 4.706.
Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water): what is the figure for Gouda?
In Gouda, “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)” stands at 71.2% (2022), ranking 7 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 16.8%.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: what is the figure for Gouda?
In Gouda, “Average distance to the nearest GP practice” stands at 0.7 km (2025), ranking 323 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1.2 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Gouda?
In Gouda, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,044 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Gouda?
The nearest to Gouda are Bodegraven-Reeuwijk (5.1 km), Waddinxveen (5.2 km), Zuidplas (6.2 km), Krimpenerwaard (6.6 km), Oudewater (11 km).