Brăila: population and statistics
Brăila has a population of 180,124 (2026) across 45.4 km², or 3,966 people per km². It ranks 12 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −14.5% between 2016 and 2026.
- 180,124 residents
- 45.4 km²
- 3,966 people/km²
Key points
Among the 44 localities in Brăila County, Brăila ranks No. 1 by population.
People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: 7.2 ‰ in Brăila, compared with an average of 11.9 ‰ in Brăila County and 18.5 ‰ nationally.
Brăila: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (2,998 businesses).
Brăila in numbers
Where is Brăila?
Population of Brăila over time
Brăila had 210,769 residents in 2016 and 180,124 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 197,232 |
| 2022 | 193,323 |
| 2023 | 189,630 |
| 2024 | 186,406 |
| 2025 | 183,036 |
| 2026 | 180,124 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Brăila County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Brăila County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 98% of localities.
- “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,361 football pitches.
- Its population density is 43.7 times the national average.
All indicators for Brăila
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 | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.2 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 3,091 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 15.3 ‰ | 15.8 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,074 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.9 ‰ | 5.1 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,887 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.9 ‰ | 14.0 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,612 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.10 km | 4.97 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,593 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.73 ‰ | 1.08 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,925 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 81,604 | 145,218 | 10,177,161 | ranked 11 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 453.0 ‰ | 462.9 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,986 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 43.0 m² | 45.2 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 2,445 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.28 ‰ | 0.72 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,789 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.68 km | 2.46 km | 6.17 km | ranked 938 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 339 m³ | 2,621 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 357 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 42.4 ‰ | 34.9 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 753 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.44 ‰ | 2.25 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,300 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 332 ‰ | 224 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 124 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 0.9% | 3.2% | 2.3% | ranked 2,534 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.6 nights | 1.2 | 0.4 | ranked 464 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 336 ‰ | 446 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 481 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.4 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 896 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 36.9 m³ | 34.3 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 806 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.02 km | 2.25 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,330 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.80 ‰ | 1.91 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 181 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.45 ‰ | 0.45 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,452 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.01 ‰ | 0.80 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 226 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Brăila | Brăila County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 142 ‰ | 128 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 404 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.5 per 10,000 inh. | 2.9 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,272 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Brăila
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 trade3,930 · 22.9%
- Transport and storage1,761 · 10.3%
- Administrative and support services1,659 · 9.7%
- Professional, scientific and technical1,549 · 9.0%
- Manufacturing1,439 · 8.4%
- Construction1,229 · 7.2%
- Real estate1,017 · 5.9%
- Other service activities931 · 5.4%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)2,998 · 17.5%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)1,976 · 11.5%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines1,351 · 7.9%
- Specialised construction activities1,096 · 6.4%
- Real estate activities1,017 · 5.9%
- Office administration and business support activities839 · 4.9%
- Warehousing and transport support activities746 · 4.4%
- Construction of buildings697 · 4.1%
- Other professional, scientific and technical activities685 · 4.0%
- Head offices and management consultancy655 · 3.8%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Brăila?
Brăila has 180,124 residents (2026), ranking 12 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Brăila?
Brăila covers 45.4 km², with a density of 3,966 people per km².
Is the population of Brăila growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Brăila went from 210,769 to 180,124, a change of −14.5%.
Where is Brăila?
Brăila is in Brăila County. Latitude 45.269, longitude 27.957.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Brăila?
In Brăila, “Existing dwellings” stands at 81,604 (2025), ranking 11 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Brăila?
In Brăila, “People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 7.2 ‰ (2025), ranking 3,091 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 16.0 ‰.
Which localities border Brăila?
The nearest to Brăila are Cazasu (5.2 km), Siliștea (9.1 km), Chiscani (9.7 km), Vădeni (10 km), Smârdan (11 km).