Zărnești (Brașov County): population and statistics
Zărnești has a population of 25,554 (2026) across 198.2 km², or 129 people per km². It ranks 86 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −4.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 25,554 residents
- 198.2 km²
- 129 people/km²
Key points
Among the 58 localities in Brașov County, Zărnești ranks No. 4 by population.
Education units per 10,000 inhabitants: 1.6 in Zărnești, compared with an average of 2.8 per 10,000 inh. in Brașov County and 3.1 per 10,000 inh. nationally.
Zărnești: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (426 businesses).
Zărnești in numbers
Where is Zărnești?
Population of Zărnești over time
Zărnești had 26,652 residents in 2016 and 25,554 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 26,256 |
| 2022 | 26,113 |
| 2023 | 25,945 |
| 2024 | 25,765 |
| 2025 | 25,683 |
| 2026 | 25,554 |
Did you know?
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- “Education units per 10,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 93% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 91% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 27,763 football pitches.
- The nearest locality is Poiana Mărului, 5.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Brașov (282,707 residents), 23 km away.
All indicators for Zărnești
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 | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.2 ‰ | 21.6 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,431 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.4 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,298 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.1 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,981 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.0 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,515 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.07 km | 4.13 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,598 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.27 ‰ | 2.30 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 823 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 9,933 | 303,112 | 10,177,161 | ranked 101 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 388.7 ‰ | 469.7 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,770 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 51.0 m² | 51.0 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,478 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.55 ‰ | 5.36 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,505 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.15 km | 3.26 km | 6.17 km | ranked 820 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 371 m³ | 18,473 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 294 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 41.8 ‰ | 68.6 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 785 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.27 ‰ | 4.06 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,430 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 147 ‰ | 289 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 604 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | ranked 2,352 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 3.4 nights | 4.5 | 0.4 | ranked 143 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1,764 ‰ | 2,372 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 134 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 61.9 ‰ | 58.6 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 181 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 46.1 m³ | 49.2 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 489 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.32 km | 2.80 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,257 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.92 ‰ | 3.57 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 256 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.31 ‰ | 0.63 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 2,257 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.63 ‰ | 1.22 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 703 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Zărnești | Brașov County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 121 ‰ | 183 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 690 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.6 per 10,000 inh. | 2.8 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,871 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Zărnești
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 trade593 · 18.8%
- Administrative and support services353 · 11.2%
- Construction328 · 10.4%
- Transport and storage322 · 10.2%
- Professional, scientific and technical259 · 8.2%
- Accommodation and food services232 · 7.3%
- Manufacturing225 · 7.1%
- Real estate192 · 6.1%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)426 · 13.5%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)347 · 11.0%
- Specialised construction activities292 · 9.2%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines288 · 9.1%
- Construction of buildings226 · 7.1%
- Real estate activities192 · 6.1%
- Rental and leasing activities172 · 5.4%
- Accommodation160 · 5.1%
- Office administration and business support activities158 · 5.0%
- Warehousing and transport support activities157 · 5.0%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zărnești?
Zărnești has 25,554 residents (2026), ranking 86 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Zărnești?
Zărnești covers 198.2 km², with a density of 129 people per km².
Is the population of Zărnești growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zărnești went from 26,652 to 25,554, a change of −4.1%.
Where is Zărnești?
Zărnești is in Brașov County. Latitude 45.572, longitude 25.343.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Zărnești?
In Zărnești, “Existing dwellings” stands at 9,933 (2025), ranking 101 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Education units per 10,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zărnești?
In Zărnești, “Education units per 10,000 inhabitants” stands at 1.6 per 10,000 inh. (2025), ranking 2,871 of 3,122 localities; the national median is 3.6 per 10,000 inh.
Which localities border Zărnești?
The nearest to Zărnești are Poiana Mărului (5.3 km), Bran (6.6 km), Moieciu (7.8 km), Vulcan (9.1 km), Râșnov (9.4 km).