Tholen: population and statistics
Tholen has a population of 27,031 (2026) across 146.9 km², or 184 people per km². It ranks 213 of 342 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 27,031 residents
- 146.9 km²
- 184 people/km²
- −2 m
Key points
Among the 13 municipalities in Zeeland, Tholen ranks No. 7 by population.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: 16.5 km in Tholen, compared with an average of 16.6 km in Zeeland and 5.2 km nationally.
Residents with a higher professional or university degree: 20.1% in Tholen, compared with an average of 24.9% in Zeeland and 33.2% nationally.
Largest business sector: Construction, with 15.5% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,103 kWh a year here.
Tholen in numbers
Where is Tholen?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Steenbergen8.9 km · 24,596
- Kapelle15 km · 13,186
- Bergen op Zoom16 km · 70,692
- Reimerswaal17 km · 23,388
- Goeree-Overflakkee18 km · 52,798
- Schouwen-Duiveland19 km · 34,409
- Woensdrecht21 km · 22,301
- Goes22 km · 40,387
All municipalities in Overig Zeeland (COROP region)
Municipalities of similar size
Population of Tholen over time
Tholen had 25,421 residents in 2016 and 27,031 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,085 |
| 2022 | 26,401 |
| 2023 | 26,825 |
| 2024 | 26,851 |
| 2025 | 26,942 |
| 2026 | 27,031 |
Did you know?
- “Average distance to the nearest railway station”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Residents with a higher professional or university degree”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 20,576 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.9 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Steenbergen, 8.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Bergen op Zoom (70,692 residents), 16 km away.
All indicators for Tholen
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 | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2026) | 21.0% | 25.5% | 23.6% | ranked 262 of 342 | |
| Share of residents under 15 (2026) | 17.7% | 14.5% | 14.8% | ranked 24 of 342 | |
| Natural increase per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.4 ‰ | −3.0 ‰ | −1.3 ‰ | ranked 35 of 342 | |
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (domestic and international) (2024) | 1.0 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | ranked 287 of 342 |
Housing
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing stock (2025) | 11,414 dwellings | 193,454 | 8,274,510 | ranked 224 of 342 | |
| Dwellings built before 1946 (2024) | 24.3% | 20.3% | 13.1% | ranked 32 of 338 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2024) | 22.1% | 18.2% | 19.9% | ranked 110 of 338 | |
| Single-family dwellings (2024) | 88.9% | 80.1% | 79.5% | ranked 25 of 342 | |
| Owner-occupied dwellings (2024) | 72.4% | 67.4% | 66.7% | ranked 65 of 342 | |
| Housing association dwellings (2024) | 20.7% | 21.4% | 23.7% | ranked 238 of 340 | |
| Average official property value (WOZ) of dwellings (2026) | 325,000 € | 342,360 € | 438,000 € | ranked 317 of 342 | |
| New dwellings in the last five years per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 22.6 ‰ | 21.0 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | ranked 94 of 341 |
Energy
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average natural gas use per dwelling (2025) | 850 m³ | 848 m³ | 900 m³ | ranked 215 of 342 | |
| Average electricity supplied per dwelling (2025) | 2,860 kWh | 2,562 kWh | 2,810 kWh | ranked 145 of 342 | |
| Dwellings without natural gas (2025) | 8% | 7% | 7% | ranked 100 of 342 | |
| Dwellings with solar power (2025) | 52% | 49% | 46% | ranked 91 of 342 | |
| Dwellings mainly heated by electricity (2025) | 13% | 12% | 12% | ranked 96 of 342 | |
| Area of solar parks (2022) | 17 ha | 205 ha | 3,475 ha | ranked 54 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with an individual central heating boiler (2022) | 91.9% | 90.0% | 90.3% | ranked 82 of 341 | |
| Dwellings with district heating (2022) | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% | ranked 116 of 341 | |
| Average electricity fed back to the grid per dwelling (2025) | 1,410 kWh | 1,244 kWh | 1,245 kWh | ranked 115 of 342 | |
| Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant (2025) | 2,394 Wp | 2,852 Wp | 1,707 Wp | ranked 94 of 342 | |
| Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 244.9 ‰ | 262.2 ‰ | 222.7 ‰ | ranked 102 of 342 |
Economy
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average disposable income per household (2024) | 61,300 € | 59,200 € | 63,450 € | ranked 207 of 336 | |
| Business establishments (2026) | 3,520 | 51,595 | 2,612,530 | ranked 221 of 342 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 130.2 ‰ | 130.8 ‰ | 135.6 ‰ | ranked 214 of 342 |
Employment
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment benefits (WW), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 1.0% | 1.3% | 1.5% | ranked 311 of 342 | |
| Social assistance (below pension age), % of residents 15–65 (2026) | 2.2% | 3.0% | 2.3% | ranked 180 of 342 |
Transport
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privately owned passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 524 ‰ | 523 ‰ | 508 ‰ | ranked 144 of 342 | |
| Average distance to the nearest railway station (2025) | 16.5 km | 16.6 km | 4.6 km | ranked 23 of 342 |
Society
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size (2025) | 2.4 persons | 2.1 | 2.2 | ranked 21 of 342 | |
| Single-person households (2025) | 31.2% | 37.8% | 33.3% | ranked 238 of 342 | |
| Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.4 ‰ | 37.0 ‰ | 30.9 ‰ | ranked 303 of 338 | |
| Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.5 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | ranked 300 of 320 | |
| Average distance to a large supermarket (2025) | 1.1 km | 1.3 km | 1.0 km | ranked 134 of 342 |
Environment
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household waste per inhabitant (2024) | 621 kg | 661 kg | 468 kg | ranked 32 of 340 | |
| Share of built-up and paved land (excluding water) (2022) | 9.4% | 19.7% | 16.8% | ranked 275 of 341 | |
| Share of agricultural land (excluding water) (2022) | 80.9% | 69.2% | 58.8% | ranked 38 of 341 | |
| Share of natural land, including forest (excluding water) (2022) | 8.1% | 7.2% | 11.7% | ranked 211 of 341 |
Health
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average distance to the nearest GP practice (2025) | 1.3 km | 1.5 km | 1.2 km | ranked 118 of 342 |
Education
| Indicator | Tholen | Zeeland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents with a higher professional or university degree (2024) | 20.1% | 24.9% | 28.5% | ranked 322 of 341 | |
| Average distance to the nearest school (2025) | 0.8 km | 0.9 km | 0.8 km | ranked 124 of 342 |
Tholen: 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
91.9% in 2022, compared with 95.8% in 2017
Dwellings with district heating
0.4% in 2022, compared with 0.3% in 2017
Installed solar panel capacity per inhabitant
2,394 Wp in 2025, compared with 541 Wp in 2019
Solar power installations per 1,000 inhabitants
244.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with 100.8 ‰ in 2019
Registered offences per 1,000 inhabitants
20.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with 23.5 ‰ in 2019
Theft, embezzlement and burglary per 1,000 inhabitants
5.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with 7.8 ‰ in 2019
Vandalism and damage per 1,000 inhabitants
3.9 ‰ in 2024, compared with 3.9 ‰ in 2019
Sunshine and temperatures: Tholen
| Month | Sunshine | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25 | 4.2 |
| February | 41 | 4.5 |
| March | 88 | 7.0 |
| April | 137 | 10.3 |
| May | 166 | 13.8 |
| June | 173 | 17.2 |
| July | 169 | 18.7 |
| August | 143 | 18.0 |
| September | 103 | 15.5 |
| October | 60 | 12.0 |
| November | 29 | 7.6 |
| December | 19 | 5.1 |
Business sectors: Tholen
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Construction15.5% ×1.5
- Professional, scientific and technical15.2% ×0.7
- Wholesale and retail trade14.0% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.1% ×3.3
- Health and social work8.5% ×0.8
- Manufacturing7.1% ×2.0
- Other service activities5.4% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services4.5% ×0.8
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Tholen?
Tholen has 27,031 residents (2026), ranking 213 of 342 municipalities.
How big is Tholen?
Tholen covers 146.9 km², with a density of 184 people per km².
Is the population of Tholen growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Tholen went from 25,421 to 27,031, a change of +6.3%.
Where is Tholen?
Tholen is in Zeeland. It belongs to Overig Zeeland (COROP region). Latitude 51.585, longitude 4.121.
Average distance to the nearest railway station: what is the figure for Tholen?
In Tholen, “Average distance to the nearest railway station” stands at 16.5 km (2025), ranking 23 of 342 municipalities; the national median is 4.6 km.
Residents with a higher professional or university degree: what is the figure for Tholen?
In Tholen, “Residents with a higher professional or university degree” stands at 20.1% (2024), ranking 322 of 341 municipalities; the national median is 28.5%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Tholen?
In Tholen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,103 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Tholen?
The nearest to Tholen are Steenbergen (8.9 km), Kapelle (15 km), Bergen op Zoom (16 km), Reimerswaal (17 km), Goeree-Overflakkee (18 km).