Hulst: population and statistics
Hulst has a population of 27,376 (2026) across 200.8 km², or 136 people per km². It ranks 212 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is stable: 0.0% between 2016 and 2026.
- 27,376 residents
- 200.8 km²
- 136 people/km²
- −1 m
Key points
Among the 13 municipalities in Zeeland, Hulst ranks No. 6 by population.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: 46.2 km in Hulst, compared with an average of 16.6 km in Zeeland and 5.2 km nationally.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: 2.6 km in Hulst, compared with an average of 1.5 km in Zeeland and 1.1 km nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 15.2% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,083 kWh a year here.
Hulst in numbers
Where is Hulst?
Population of Hulst over time
Hulst had 27,372 residents in 2016 and 27,376 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,575 |
| 2022 | 27,533 |
| 2023 | 27,596 |
| 2024 | 27,330 |
| 2025 | 27,378 |
| 2026 | 27,376 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Zeeland for “Average distance to the nearest GP practice”.
- “Average distance to the nearest railway station”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to the nearest GP practice”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Average distance to a large supermarket”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 28,125 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.0 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Reimerswaal, 13.8 km away.
All indicators for Hulst
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 | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 28.1% | 25.5% | 23.6% | ranked 34 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 12.5% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 309 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | −6.5 ‰ | −3.0 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 324 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 8.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 122 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 13,719 dwellings | 193,454 | 8,274,510 | ranked 187 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 21.2% | 20.3% | 13.1% | ranked 63 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 17.9% | 18.2% | 19.9% | ranked 208 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 89.5% | 80.1% | 79.5% | ranked 21 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 74.3% | 67.4% | 66.7% | ranked 35 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 18.0% | 21.4% | 23.7% | ranked 282 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 329,000 € | 342,360 € | 438,000 € | ranked 313 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.5 ‰ | 21.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 117 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 950 m³ | 848 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 103 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,750 kWh | 2,562 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 198 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 7% | 7% | 7% | ranked 133 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 55% | 49% | 46% | ranked 45 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 11% | 12% | 12% | ranked 178 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 0 ha | 205 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 159 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 93.2% | 90.0% | 90.3% | ranked 33 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | ranked 78 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,430 kWh | 1,244 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 108 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 1,769 Wp | 2,852 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 163 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 295.4 ‰ | 262.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 15 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 59,900 € | 59,200 € | 63,450 € | ranked 228 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 3,145 | 51,595 | 2,612,530 | ranked 252 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 114.9 ‰ | 130.8 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 301 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | ranked 233 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.8% | 3.0% | 2.3% | ranked 258 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 593 ‰ | 523 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 12 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 46.2 km | 16.6 km | 4.6 km | ranked 2 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.1 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 235 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 35.4% | 37.8% | 33.3% | ranked 119 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 29.1 ‰ | 37.0 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 201 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.5 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 285 of 320 | |
| Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.7 ‰ | 5.7 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | ranked 104 of 178 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 2.2 km | 1.3 km | 1.0 km | ranked 8 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 689 kg | 661 kg | 468 kg | ranked 15 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 8.3% | 19.7% | 16.8% | ranked 288 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 75.3% | 69.2% | 58.8% | ranked 79 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 15.3% | 7.2% | 11.7% | ranked 136 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 2.6 km | 1.5 km | 1.2 km | ranked 2 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Hulst | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 23.5% | 24.9% | 28.5% | ranked 287 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 1.1 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 24 of 342 |
Hulst: 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
93.2% in 2022, compared with 95.1% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
1.2% in 2022, compared with 1.2% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
1,769 Wp in 2025, compared with 489 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
295.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 130.5 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
29.1 ‰ in 2025, compared with 30.6 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
6.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.8 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
3.7 ‰ in 2022, compared with 4.4 ‰ in 2019
Violent and sexual offences per 1,000 inhabitants
3.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with 4.4 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Hulst
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 4.1 |
| February | 41 | 4.4 |
| March | 87 | 6.8 |
| April | 135 | 10.3 |
| May | 162 | 13.8 |
| June | 169 | 17.2 |
| July | 166 | 18.8 |
| August | 139 | 18.2 |
| September | 103 | 15.8 |
| October | 60 | 12.3 |
| November | 30 | 7.8 |
| December | 20 | 5.1 |
Business sectors: Hulst
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical15.2% ×0.7
- Wholesale and retail trade14.5% ×1.1
- Health and social work11.2% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.2% ×3.3
- Construction9.3% ×0.9
- Other service activities7.8% ×1.5
- Manufacturing4.9% ×1.4
- Accommodation and food services4.9% ×1.4
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Hulst?
Hulst has 27,376 residents (2026), ranking 212 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Hulst?
Hulst covers 200.8 km², with a density of 136 people per km².
Is the population of Hulst growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Hulst went from 27,372 to 27,376, a change of 0.0%.
Where is Hulst?
Hulst is in Zeeland. It belongs to Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen (COROP region). Latitude 51.316, longitude 4.054.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: what is the figure for Hulst?
In Hulst, “Average distance to the nearest railway station” stands at 46.2 km (2025), ranking 2 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 4.6 km.
Average distance to the nearest GP practice: what is the figure for Hulst?
In Hulst, “Average distance to the nearest GP practice” stands at 2.6 km (2025), ranking 2 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 1.2 km.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Hulst?
In Hulst, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,083 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Hulst?
The nearest to Hulst are Reimerswaal (14 km), Terneuzen (16 km), Woensdrecht (22 km), Kapelle (22 km), Borsele (24 km).