Leiden: population and statistics
Leiden has a population of 130,328 (2026) across 21.9 km², or 5,943 people per km². It ranks 21 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 130,328 residents
- 21.9 km²
- 5,943 people/km²
- 10 m
Key points
Among the 50 municipalities in South Holland, Leiden ranks No. 4 by population.
Average electricity supplied per dwelling: 2,050 kWh in Leiden, compared with an average of 2,422 kWh in South Holland and 2,598 kWh nationally.
Average household size: 1.7 persons in Leiden, compared with an average of 2.1 persons in South Holland and 2.1 persons nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 22.6% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,065 kWh a year here.
Leiden in numbers
Where is Leiden?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Oegstgeest1.8 km · 26,095
- Leiderdorp2.6 km · 27,973
- Voorschoten5.0 km · 25,975
- Zoeterwoude5.3 km · 10,355
- Teylingen6.3 km · 38,739
- Wassenaar6.3 km · 27,975
- Katwijk6.8 km · 67,149
- Noordwijk9.0 km · 46,453
All municipalities in South Holland
All municipalities in Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Leiden over time
Leiden had 122,561 residents in 2016 and 130,328 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 124,093 |
| 2022 | 125,074 |
| 2023 | 127,089 |
| 2024 | 130,108 |
| 2025 | 130,638 |
| 2026 | 130,328 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South Holland for “Elevation”.
- “Average electricity supplied per dwelling”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average household size”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,071 football pitches.
- Its population density is 11.0 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Oegstgeest, 1.8 km away.
All indicators for Leiden
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 | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 16.8% | 19.5% | 23.6% | ranked 330 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 11.4% | 15.5% | 14.8% | ranked 331 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −1.0 ‰ | 0.8 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 154 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 5.2 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 197 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 65,079 dwellings | 1,773,459 | 8,274,510 | ranked 21 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 30.2% | 19.8% | 13.1% | ranked 12 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 19.3% | 20.3% | 19.9% | ranked 183 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 39.1% | 49.2% | 79.5% | ranked 332 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 40.8% | 53.3% | 66.7% | ranked 336 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 31.2% | 31.1% | 23.7% | ranked 44 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 455,000 € | 431,489 € | 438,000 € | ranked 148 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 34.6 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 14 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 580 m³ | 709 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 331 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,050 kWh | 2,422 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 341 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 23% | 13% | 7% | ranked 15 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 18% | 28% | 46% | ranked 336 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 10% | 8% | 12% | ranked 223 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) | 62.8% | 78.8% | 90.3% | ranked 332 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 21.1% | 7.7% | 0.1% | ranked 11 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 320 kWh | 641 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 339 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 417 Wp | 898 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 338 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 96.8 ‰ | 134.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 336 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 56,300 € | 62,019 € | 63,450 € | ranked 284 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 17,660 | 563,040 | 2,612,530 | ranked 22 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 135.5 ‰ | 145.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 172 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.5% | ranked 233 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 79 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 299 ‰ | 400 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 339 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 2.0 km | 5.6 km | 4.6 km | ranked 296 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 1.7 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 336 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 56.8% | 40.7% | 33.3% | ranked 7 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 57.3 ‰ | 50.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 21 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 28.4 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 13 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) | 5.2 ‰ | 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 | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 349 kg | 421 kg | 468 kg | ranked 335 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 74.5% | 52.0% | 16.8% | ranked 4 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 10.4% | 28.5% | 58.8% | ranked 325 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 1.0% | 7.6% | 11.7% | ranked 324 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Leiden | South 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 | Leiden | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 49.8% | 33.2% | 28.5% | ranked 9 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.8 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 124 of 342 |
Leiden: 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
62.8% in 2022, compared with 65.6% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
21.1% in 2022, compared with 20.9% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
417 Wp in 2025, compared with 107 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
96.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 29.5 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
57.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 54.2 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
28.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 24.9 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
4.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.7 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
5.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.4 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Leiden
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 23 | 4.3 |
| February | 40 | 4.3 |
| March | 85 | 6.4 |
| April | 133 | 9.6 |
| May | 163 | 13.1 |
| June | 171 | 16.4 |
| July | 167 | 18.2 |
| August | 139 | 17.9 |
| September | 96 | 15.7 |
| October | 55 | 12.3 |
| November | 27 | 7.9 |
| December | 17 | 5.3 |
Business sectors: Leiden
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical22.6% ×1.1
- Health and social work13.1% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade10.3% ×0.8
- Construction8.9% ×0.8
- Education7.9% ×1.4
- Arts, entertainment and recreation7.7% ×1.4
- Information and communication6.9% ×1.3
- Administrative and support services5.7% ×1.1
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Leiden?
Leiden has 130,328 residents (2026), ranking 21 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Leiden?
Leiden covers 21.9 km², with a density of 5,943 people per km².
Is the population of Leiden growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Leiden went from 122,561 to 130,328, a change of +6.3%.
Where is Leiden?
Leiden is in South Holland. It belongs to Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek (COROP region). Latitude 52.160, longitude 4.490.
Average electricity supplied per dwelling: what is the figure for Leiden?
In Leiden, “Average electricity supplied per dwelling” stands at 2,050 kWh (2025), ranking 341 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 2,810 kWh.
Average household size: what is the figure for Leiden?
In Leiden, “Average household size” stands at 1.7 persons (2025), ranking 336 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 2.2 persons.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Leiden?
In Leiden, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,065 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Leiden?
The nearest to Leiden are Oegstgeest (1.8 km), Leiderdorp (2.6 km), Voorschoten (5.0 km), Zoeterwoude (5.3 km), Teylingen (6.3 km).