Bacău: population and statistics
Bacău has a population of 182,980 (2026) across 43.1 km², or 4,249 people per km². It ranks 11 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 182,980 residents
- 43.1 km²
- 4,249 people/km²
Key points
Among the 93 localities in Bacău County, Bacău ranks No. 1 by population.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: 209 ‰ in Bacău, compared with an average of 135 ‰ in Bacău County and 163 ‰ nationally.
Bacău: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (4,068 businesses).
Bacău in numbers
Where is Bacău?
Population of Bacău over time
Bacău had 197,633 residents in 2016 and 182,980 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 196,580 |
| 2022 | 195,344 |
| 2023 | 193,375 |
| 2024 | 190,473 |
| 2025 | 186,298 |
| 2026 | 182,980 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Bacău County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Bacău County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- “People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,031 football pitches.
- Its population density is 46.8 times the national average.
All indicators for Bacău
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 | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.8 ‰ | 15.1 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,089 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 28.9 ‰ | 20.9 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 105 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.3 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,377 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.3 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,714 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.73 km | 3.43 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,646 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.48 ‰ | 1.28 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,164 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 72,720 | 296,898 | 10,177,161 | ranked 13 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 397.4 ‰ | 421.9 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,690 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 46.0 m² | 49.1 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 2,110 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.67 ‰ | 1.56 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 767 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.77 km | 3.26 km | 6.17 km | ranked 934 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 368 m³ | 5,702 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 303 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 56.9 ‰ | 34.3 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 332 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.17 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 833 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 387 ‰ | 174 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 83 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 0.4% | 0.7% | 2.3% | ranked 2,971 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.7 nights | 0.8 | 0.4 | ranked 425 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 450 ‰ | 411 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 395 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.3 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 904 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 32.9 m³ | 25.3 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 996 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.08 km | 2.07 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,313 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.98 ‰ | 1.61 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 167 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.44 ‰ | 0.34 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,536 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.97 ‰ | 0.42 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 251 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bacău | Bacău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 209 ‰ | 135 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 99 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.8 per 10,000 inh. | 2.5 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,072 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bacău
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 trade5,147 · 21.0%
- Transport and storage2,694 · 11.0%
- Professional, scientific and technical2,537 · 10.3%
- Administrative and support services2,219 · 9.0%
- Manufacturing1,843 · 7.5%
- Construction1,674 · 6.8%
- Information and communication1,413 · 5.8%
- Real estate1,378 · 5.6%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)4,068 · 16.6%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)2,639 · 10.8%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines2,137 · 8.7%
- Specialised construction activities1,516 · 6.2%
- Warehousing and transport support activities1,404 · 5.7%
- Real estate activities1,378 · 5.6%
- Head offices and management consultancy1,249 · 5.1%
- Office administration and business support activities1,225 · 5.0%
- Other professional, scientific and technical activities1,077 · 4.4%
- Food and beverage service activities1,000 · 4.1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bacău?
Bacău has 182,980 residents (2026), ranking 11 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bacău?
Bacău covers 43.1 km², with a density of 4,249 people per km².
Is the population of Bacău growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bacău went from 197,633 to 182,980, a change of −7.4%.
Where is Bacău?
Bacău is in Bacău County. Latitude 46.583, longitude 26.917.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Bacău?
In Bacău, “Existing dwellings” stands at 72,720 (2025), ranking 13 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bacău?
In Bacău, “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 209 ‰ (2025), ranking 99 of 3,158 localities; the national median is 91 ‰.
Which localities border Bacău?
The nearest to Bacău are Letea Veche (4.5 km), Măgura (6.0 km), Hemeiuș (6.3 km), Buhoci (7.9 km), Luizi-Călugăra (8.0 km).