Blaj: population and statistics
Blaj has a population of 19,821 (2026) across 98.9 km², or 200 people per km². It ranks 111 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −5.7% between 2016 and 2026.
- 19,821 residents
- 98.9 km²
- 200 people/km²
Key points
Among the 78 localities in Alba County, Blaj ranks No. 5 by population.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: 354 ‰ in Blaj, compared with an average of 268 ‰ in Alba County and 252 ‰ nationally.
Blaj: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (297 businesses).
Blaj in numbers
Where is Blaj?
Neighbouring localities
- Sâncel3.7 km · 2,517
- Bucerdea Grânoasă5.6 km · 2,274
- Crăciunelu de Jos7.2 km · 2,138
- Cergău8.4 km · 1,543
- Lopadea Nouă11 km · 2,437
- Mihalț12 km · 3,167
- Valea Lungă13 km · 3,057
- Șona13 km · 4,265
Localities of similar size
Population of Blaj over time
Blaj had 21,012 residents in 2016 and 19,821 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,503 |
| 2022 | 20,330 |
| 2023 | 20,239 |
| 2024 | 20,088 |
| 2025 | 19,956 |
| 2026 | 19,821 |
Did you know?
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 13,849 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.2 times the national average.
- The nearest locality is Sâncel, 3.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Alba Iulia (74,137 residents), 29 km away.
All indicators for Blaj
Value for the locality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the locality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.7 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,836 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.3 ‰ | 15.2 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,577 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.3 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,881 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.4 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,396 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.33 km | 6.67 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,182 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.96 ‰ | 1.83 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,674 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 9,895 | 175,151 | 10,177,161 | ranked 102 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 499.2 ‰ | 486.3 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,418 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 60.8 m² | 51.9 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 586 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.63 ‰ | 2.51 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 295 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.12 km | 5.64 km | 6.17 km | ranked 618 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 517 m³ | 14,024 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 145 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 36.8 ‰ | 53.1 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 1,017 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.82 ‰ | 3.50 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,836 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 354 ‰ | 268 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 101 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.3% | ranked 1,317 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.6 nights | 1.5 | 0.4 | ranked 464 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 282 ‰ | 852 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 535 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.4 ‰ | 28.1 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 624 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 45.1 m³ | 36.4 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 519 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.91 km | 3.91 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,111 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 3.28 ‰ | 2.02 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 142 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.40 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,772 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.96 ‰ | 0.77 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 259 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Blaj | Alba County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 200 ‰ | 153 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 117 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.0 per 10,000 inh. | 3.8 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,308 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Blaj
Active businesses in the business register with a recorded activity, by section and by activity (NACE Rev. 2). Only activities with at least 3 businesses are shown.
By industry section
- Wholesale and retail trade385 · 21.3%
- Transport and storage195 · 10.8%
- Construction190 · 10.5%
- Manufacturing173 · 9.6%
- Administrative and support services168 · 9.3%
- Professional, scientific and technical144 · 8.0%
- Accommodation and food services98 · 5.4%
- Other service activities92 · 5.1%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)297 · 16.4%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)209 · 11.6%
- Specialised construction activities171 · 9.5%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines165 · 9.1%
- Construction of buildings122 · 6.8%
- Warehousing and transport support activities96 · 5.3%
- Food and beverage service activities90 · 5.0%
- Office administration and business support activities89 · 4.9%
- Civil engineering70 · 3.9%
- Repair of computers and personal and household goods63 · 3.5%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Blaj?
Blaj has 19,821 residents (2026), ranking 111 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Blaj?
Blaj covers 98.9 km², with a density of 200 people per km².
Is the population of Blaj growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Blaj went from 21,012 to 19,821, a change of −5.7%.
Where is Blaj?
Blaj is in Alba County. Latitude 46.174, longitude 23.922.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Blaj?
In Blaj, “Existing dwellings” stands at 9,895 (2025), ranking 102 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Blaj?
In Blaj, “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 354 ‰ (2024), ranking 101 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 71 ‰.
Which localities border Blaj?
The nearest to Blaj are Sâncel (3.7 km), Bucerdea Grânoasă (5.6 km), Crăciunelu de Jos (7.2 km), Cergău (8.4 km), Lopadea Nouă (11 km).