Dej: population and statistics
Dej has a population of 35,981 (2026) across 108.9 km², or 330 people per km². It ranks 63 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.7% between 2016 and 2026.
- 35,981 residents
- 108.9 km²
- 330 people/km²
Key points
Among the 81 localities in Cluj County, Dej ranks No. 4 by population.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: 196 ‰ in Dej, compared with an average of 245 ‰ in Cluj County and 163 ‰ nationally.
Dej: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (890 businesses).
Dej in numbers
Where is Dej?
Neighbouring localities
- Cuzdrioara5.7 km · 3,003
- Mica6.6 km · 3,541
- Mintiu Gherlii8.3 km · 3,836
- Jichișu de Jos9.3 km · 1,071
- Ciceu-Mihăiești10 km · 1,199
- Cășeiu11 km · 4,717
- Petru Rareș12 km · 3,615
- Câțcău12 km · 2,191
Localities of similar size
Population of Dej over time
Dej had 38,990 residents in 2016 and 35,981 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 37,665 |
| 2022 | 37,243 |
| 2023 | 36,916 |
| 2024 | 36,530 |
| 2025 | 36,168 |
| 2026 | 35,981 |
Did you know?
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 95% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 15,251 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.6 times the national average.
- The nearest locality is Cuzdrioara, 5.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Bistrița (94,646 residents), 46 km away.
All indicators for Dej
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 | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.6 ‰ | 22.3 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,131 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 15.1 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,121 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.3 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,881 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.7 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,295 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.87 km | 4.84 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,279 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.97 ‰ | 1.77 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 974 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 15,778 | 385,061 | 10,177,161 | ranked 67 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 438.5 ‰ | 515.2 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,177 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 52.6 m² | 49.4 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,301 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.64 ‰ | 5.13 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 461 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.04 km | 4.12 km | 6.17 km | ranked 737 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 431 m³ | 15,508 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 227 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 64.6 ‰ | 97.8 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 229 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.89 ‰ | 6.06 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 535 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 243 ‰ | 349 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 307 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.3% | 1.2% | 2.3% | ranked 2,207 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.4 nights | 1.8 | 0.4 | ranked 582 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 215 ‰ | 1,010 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 612 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 8.6 ‰ | 26.1 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 830 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 42.9 m³ | 49.3 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 575 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.13 km | 3.32 km | 4.05 km | ranked 828 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 3.11 ‰ | 6.15 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 155 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.42 ‰ | 0.66 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,647 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.61 ‰ | 1.50 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 738 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Dej | Cluj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 196 ‰ | 245 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 129 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.9 per 10,000 inh. | 3.7 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,351 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Dej
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 trade1,170 · 19.1%
- Transport and storage780 · 12.7%
- Construction625 · 10.2%
- Administrative and support services558 · 9.1%
- Professional, scientific and technical533 · 8.7%
- Manufacturing501 · 8.2%
- Other service activities354 · 5.8%
- Accommodation and food services314 · 5.1%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)890 · 14.5%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines668 · 10.9%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)640 · 10.4%
- Specialised construction activities582 · 9.5%
- Construction of buildings424 · 6.9%
- Warehousing and transport support activities377 · 6.1%
- Real estate activities300 · 4.9%
- Office administration and business support activities286 · 4.7%
- Food and beverage service activities272 · 4.4%
- Head offices and management consultancy250 · 4.1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Dej?
Dej has 35,981 residents (2026), ranking 63 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Dej?
Dej covers 108.9 km², with a density of 330 people per km².
Is the population of Dej growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Dej went from 38,990 to 35,981, a change of −7.7%.
Where is Dej?
Dej is in Cluj County. Latitude 47.141, longitude 23.876.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Dej?
In Dej, “Existing dwellings” stands at 15,778 (2025), ranking 67 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 Dej?
In Dej, “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 196 ‰ (2025), ranking 129 of 3,158 localities; the national median is 91 ‰.
Which localities border Dej?
The nearest to Dej are Cuzdrioara (5.7 km), Mica (6.6 km), Mintiu Gherlii (8.3 km), Jichișu de Jos (9.3 km), Ciceu-Mihăiești (10 km).