Bistrița: population and statistics
Bistrița has a population of 94,646 (2026) across 145.4 km², or 651 people per km². It ranks 26 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is growing: +1.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 94,646 residents
- 145.4 km²
- 651 people/km²
Key points
Among the 62 localities in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Bistrița ranks No. 1 by population.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: 410 ‰ in Bistrița, compared with an average of 215 ‰ in Bistrița-Năsăud County and 252 ‰ nationally.
Bistrița: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (2,487 businesses).
Bistrița in numbers
Where is Bistrița?
Population of Bistrița over time
Bistrița had 93,460 residents in 2016 and 94,646 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 94,814 |
| 2022 | 94,670 |
| 2023 | 94,672 |
| 2024 | 94,601 |
| 2025 | 94,354 |
| 2026 | 94,646 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Bistrița-Năsăud County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Bistrița-Năsăud County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 20,359 football pitches.
- Its population density is 7.2 times the national average.
All indicators for Bistrița
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 | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.6 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,926 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.3 ‰ | 14.7 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,759 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.0 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,505 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.1 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 3,033 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.18 km | 5.45 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,210 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.73 ‰ | 2.26 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 642 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 49,993 | 149,945 | 10,177,161 | ranked 21 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 528.2 ‰ | 465.5 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,115 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 57.1 m² | 58.8 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 861 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.81 ‰ | 3.83 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 91 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.39 km | 5.97 km | 6.17 km | ranked 803 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 434 m³ | 4,414 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 223 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 76.4 ‰ | 50.2 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 139 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.42 ‰ | 3.62 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 388 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 410 ‰ | 215 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 71 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.0% | 1.9% | 2.3% | ranked 2,436 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.8 nights | 0.7 | 0.4 | ranked 391 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 555 ‰ | 429 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 342 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.5 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 616 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 45.3 m³ | 31.0 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 511 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.84 km | 4.22 km | 4.05 km | ranked 890 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 3.76 ‰ | 1.67 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 99 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.50 ‰ | 0.45 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,171 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.30 ‰ | 0.74 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 108 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bistrița | Bistrița-Năsăud County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 211 ‰ | 158 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 89 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.8 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,419 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bistrița
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 trade3,337 · 20.8%
- Transport and storage1,716 · 10.7%
- Professional, scientific and technical1,627 · 10.1%
- Administrative and support services1,449 · 9.0%
- Construction1,441 · 9.0%
- Manufacturing1,338 · 8.3%
- Other service activities832 · 5.2%
- Real estate793 · 4.9%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)2,487 · 15.5%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)1,716 · 10.7%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines1,335 · 8.3%
- Specialised construction activities1,248 · 7.8%
- Construction of buildings918 · 5.7%
- Real estate activities793 · 4.9%
- Warehousing and transport support activities730 · 4.5%
- Head offices and management consultancy657 · 4.1%
- Office administration and business support activities655 · 4.1%
- Food and beverage service activities601 · 3.7%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bistrița?
Bistrița has 94,646 residents (2026), ranking 26 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bistrița?
Bistrița covers 145.4 km², with a density of 651 people per km².
Is the population of Bistrița growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bistrița went from 93,460 to 94,646, a change of +1.3%.
Where is Bistrița?
Bistrița is in Bistrița-Năsăud County. Latitude 47.133, longitude 24.483.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Bistrița?
In Bistrița, “Existing dwellings” stands at 49,993 (2025), ranking 21 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bistrița?
In Bistrița, “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 410 ‰ (2024), ranking 71 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 71 ‰.
Which localities border Bistrița?
The nearest to Bistrița are Budacu de Jos (6.0 km), Șieu-Măgheruș (8.0 km), Dumitra (11 km), Cetate (11 km), Șintereag (11 km).