Zărnești (Buzău County): population and statistics
Zărnești has a population of 4,772 (2026) across 78.2 km², or 61.0 people per km². It ranks 816 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −6.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 4,772 residents
- 78.2 km²
- 61 people/km²
Key points
Among the 87 localities in Buzău County, Zărnești ranks No. 19 by population.
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.21 ‰ in Zărnești, compared with an average of 1.70 ‰ in Buzău County and 1.87 ‰ nationally.
Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.21 ‰ in Zărnești, compared with an average of 0.73 ‰ in Buzău County and 1.08 ‰ nationally.
Zărnești: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (61 businesses).
Zărnești in numbers
Where is Zărnești?
Population of Zărnești over time
Zărnești had 5,082 residents in 2016 and 4,772 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,891 |
| 2022 | 4,843 |
| 2023 | 4,809 |
| 2024 | 4,796 |
| 2025 | 4,784 |
| 2026 | 4,772 |
Did you know?
- “Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 10,951 football pitches.
- The nearest locality is Blăjani, 5.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Mărăcineni (9,654 residents), 12 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 | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.3 ‰ | 15.4 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,508 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.8 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,679 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.7 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,657 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.6 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,413 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.39 km | 7.19 km | 7.67 km | ranked 1,012 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.21 ‰ | 1.70 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,402 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 2,092 | 213,362 | 10,177,161 | ranked 870 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 438.4 ‰ | 494.1 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,179 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 64.0 m² | 51.0 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 378 of 3,163 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 30.4 ‰ | 43.4 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 1,499 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.35 ‰ | 2.92 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 739 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 65 ‰ | 205 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 1,726 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | ranked 1,627 of 3,163 |
Environment
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 17.4 m³ | 33.7 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,964 of 2,656 |
Health
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.42 ‰ | 1.59 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 1,861 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.42 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,647 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.21 ‰ | 0.73 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 1,957 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Zărnești | Buzău County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 77 ‰ | 137 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 2,170 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.1 per 10,000 inh. | 3.2 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,558 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 trade82 · 24.3%
- Transport and storage52 · 15.4%
- Construction39 · 11.6%
- Manufacturing29 · 8.6%
- Administrative and support services29 · 8.6%
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing19 · 5.6%
- Professional, scientific and technical19 · 5.6%
- Accommodation and food services18 · 5.3%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)61 · 18.1%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)53 · 15.7%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines40 · 11.9%
- Specialised construction activities37 · 11.0%
- Construction of buildings27 · 8.0%
- Warehousing and transport support activities24 · 7.1%
- Crop and animal production, hunting and related services17 · 5.0%
- Food and beverage service activities16 · 4.7%
- Civil engineering14 · 4.2%
- Manufacture of food products13 · 3.9%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zărnești?
Zărnești has 4,772 residents (2026), ranking 816 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Zărnești?
Zărnești covers 78.2 km², with a density of 61 people per km².
Is the population of Zărnești growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zărnești went from 5,082 to 4,772, a change of −6.1%.
Where is Zărnești?
Zărnești is in Buzău County. Latitude 45.291, longitude 26.877.
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zărnești?
In Zărnești, “Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.21 ‰ (2025), ranking 2,402 of 2,438 localities; the national median is 1.53 ‰.
Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zărnești?
In Zărnești, “Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.21 ‰ (2024), ranking 1,957 of 2,248 localities; the national median is 0.47 ‰.
Which localities border Zărnești?
The nearest to Zărnești are Blăjani (5.5 km), Poșta Câlnău (7.1 km), Racovițeni (8.6 km), Cernătești (9.0 km), Săpoca (11 km).