Zoetermeer: population and statistics
Zoetermeer has a population of 130,836 (2026) across 33.9 km², or 3,865 people per km². It ranks 20 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 130,836 residents
- 33.9 km²
- 3,865 people/km²
- 6 m
Key points
Among the 50 municipalities in South Holland, Zoetermeer ranks No. 3 by population.
Dwellings built before 1946: 1.2% in Zoetermeer, compared with an average of 19.8% in South Holland and 18.0% nationally.
Average natural gas use per dwelling: 660 m³ in Zoetermeer, compared with an average of 709 m³ in South Holland and 793 m³ nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 19.0% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,064 kWh a year here.
Zoetermeer in numbers
Where is Zoetermeer?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Zoeterwoude5.9 km · 10,355
- Pijnacker-Nootdorp6.3 km · 58,741
- Lansingerland7.0 km · 66,633
- Leidschendam-Voorburg7.8 km · 78,916
- Voorschoten7.8 km · 25,975
- Waddinxveen10 km · 35,542
- Zuidplas10 km · 49,291
- Delft11 km · 110,089
All municipalities in South Holland
All municipalities in Agglomeratie 's-Gravenhage (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Zoetermeer over time
Zoetermeer had 124,107 residents in 2016 and 130,836 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 125,267 |
| 2022 | 125,767 |
| 2023 | 126,998 |
| 2024 | 128,434 |
| 2025 | 129,862 |
| 2026 | 130,836 |
Did you know?
- “Dwellings built before 1946”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average natural gas use per dwelling”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water)”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,741 football pitches.
- Its population density is 7.2 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Zoeterwoude, 5.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is The Hague (569,468 residents), 13 km away.
All indicators for Zoetermeer
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 | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 21.6% | 19.5% | 23.6% | ranked 246 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 16.3% | 15.5% | 14.8% | ranked 60 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.7 ‰ | 0.8 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 51 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 9.3 ‰ | 5.3 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 92 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 58,212 dwellings | 1,773,459 | 8,274,510 | ranked 23 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 1.2% | 19.8% | 13.1% | ranked 337 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 23.4% | 20.3% | 19.9% | ranked 85 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 56.5% | 49.2% | 79.5% | ranked 316 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 55.5% | 53.3% | 66.7% | ranked 300 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 34.2% | 31.1% | 23.7% | ranked 23 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 424,000 € | 431,489 € | 438,000 € | ranked 195 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.0 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 179 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 660 m³ | 709 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 322 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,530 kWh | 2,422 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 281 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 12% | 13% | 7% | ranked 47 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 31% | 28% | 46% | ranked 302 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 13% | 8% | 12% | ranked 96 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) | 74.7% | 78.8% | 90.3% | ranked 318 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 5.7% | 7.7% | 0.1% | ranked 39 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 740 kWh | 641 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 292 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 669 Wp | 898 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 323 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 148.0 ‰ | 134.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 310 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 59,100 € | 62,019 € | 63,450 € | ranked 243 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 15,755 | 563,040 | 2,612,530 | ranked 28 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 120.4 ‰ | 145.0 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 277 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | 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) | 3.7% | 4.1% | 2.3% | ranked 62 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 441 ‰ | 400 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 289 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 3.4 km | 5.6 km | 4.6 km | ranked 204 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.2 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 134 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 35.9% | 40.7% | 33.3% | ranked 110 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 43.8 ‰ | 50.7 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 60 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.9 ‰ | 21.4 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 98 of 320 | |
| Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.9 ‰ | 4.5 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | ranked 77 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) | 0.8 km | 0.8 km | 1.0 km | ranked 242 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 400 kg | 421 kg | 468 kg | ranked 284 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 59.8% | 52.0% | 16.8% | ranked 23 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 18.7% | 28.5% | 58.8% | ranked 301 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 2.0% | 7.6% | 11.7% | ranked 311 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Zoetermeer | South 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 | Zoetermeer | South Holland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 30.8% | 33.2% | 28.5% | ranked 126 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.6 km | 0.7 km | 0.8 km | ranked 304 of 342 |
Zoetermeer: 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
74.7% in 2022, compared with 75.0% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
5.7% in 2022, compared with 4.5% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
669 Wp in 2025, compared with 178 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
148.0 ‰ in 2025, compared with 45.3 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
43.8 ‰ in 2025, compared with 48.2 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
14.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 19.3 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
3.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.9 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
4.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 5.5 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Zoetermeer
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 23 | 4.2 |
| February | 40 | 4.3 |
| March | 85 | 6.4 |
| April | 134 | 9.7 |
| May | 163 | 13.3 |
| June | 170 | 16.6 |
| July | 166 | 18.3 |
| August | 139 | 17.9 |
| September | 97 | 15.6 |
| October | 56 | 12.2 |
| November | 27 | 7.8 |
| December | 18 | 5.2 |
Business sectors: Zoetermeer
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical19.0% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade13.7% ×1.1
- Health and social work13.0% ×1.2
- Construction11.6% ×1.1
- Education7.0% ×1.2
- Information and communication6.9% ×1.3
- Other service activities6.4% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services6.3% ×1.2
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer has 130,836 residents (2026), ranking 20 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer covers 33.9 km², with a density of 3,865 people per km².
Is the population of Zoetermeer growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zoetermeer went from 124,107 to 130,836, a change of +5.4%.
Where is Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer is in South Holland. It belongs to Agglomeratie 's-Gravenhage (COROP region). Latitude 52.061, longitude 4.493.
Dwellings built before 1946: what is the figure for Zoetermeer?
In Zoetermeer, “Dwellings built before 1946” stands at 1.2% (2024), ranking 337 of 338 municipalities; the national median is 13.1%.
Average natural gas use per dwelling: what is the figure for Zoetermeer?
In Zoetermeer, “Average natural gas use per dwelling” stands at 660 m³ (2025), ranking 322 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 900 m³.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Zoetermeer?
In Zoetermeer, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,064 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Zoetermeer?
The nearest to Zoetermeer are Zoeterwoude (5.9 km), Pijnacker-Nootdorp (6.3 km), Lansingerland (7.0 km), Leidschendam-Voorburg (7.8 km), Voorschoten (7.8 km).