Location map: Zăbala
Locality · Covasna County

Zăbala: population and statistics

Zăbala has a population of 4,521 (2026) across 126.1 km², or 35.9 people per km². It ranks 888 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.1% between 2016 and 2026.

  • 4,521 residents
  • 126.1 km²
  • 36 people/km²

Key points

Among the 45 localities in Covasna County, Zăbala ranks No. 13 by population.

Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.22 ‰ in Zăbala, compared with an average of 1.25 ‰ in Covasna County and 1.87 ‰ nationally.

People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: 9.5 ‰ in Zăbala, compared with an average of 11.8 ‰ in Covasna County and 20.1 ‰ nationally.

Zăbala: the most common activity among active businesses is Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles) (40 businesses).

Zăbala in numbers

Population (by registered residence)
4,521
ranked 888 of 3,181
−7.1%over 10 years
2016–2026
Population density
36people/km²
ranked 2,109 of 3,163
Area
126km²
ranked 350 of 3,181
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants
0.22‰
ranked 2,396 of 2,438
People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants
9.5‰
ranked 3,049 of 3,163
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants
0.22‰
ranked 2,669 of 2,833
Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants
16.6‰
ranked 2,698 of 3,163

Where is Zăbala?

Population of Zăbala over time

4,5004,6004,7004,8004,900201620182020202220242026
Population, 2016–2026

Zăbala had 4,868 residents in 2016 and 4,521 in 2026.

YearPopulation (by registered residence)
20214,697
20224,619
20234,584
20244,552
20254,525
20264,521

Did you know?

All indicators for Zăbala

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.

ZăbalaNational medianHover over or tap a bar to see what it shows.

Population

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)11.5 ‰10.2 ‰16.0 ‰ranked 2,569 of 3,163
People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)9.5 ‰11.8 ‰17.3 ‰ranked 3,049 of 3,163
Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)7.1 ‰7.5 ‰6.9 ‰ranked 1,450 of 3,157
Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)11.3 ‰11.0 ‰13.0 ‰ranked 2,099 of 3,163

Housing

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)0.22 ‰1.25 ‰1.53 ‰ranked 2,396 of 2,438
Existing dwellings (2025)1,99996,24010,177,161ranked 956 of 3,181
Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)442.2 ‰438.5 ‰484.8 ‰ranked 2,120 of 3,163
Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025)50.6 m²49.7 m²50.3 m²ranked 1,538 of 3,163
Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)1.55 ‰0.99 ‰1.30 ‰ranked 830 of 1,926

Economy

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026)16.6 ‰31.6 ‰29.4 ‰ranked 2,698 of 3,163
Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026)0.88 ‰1.34 ‰2.10 ‰ranked 2,651 of 3,163

Employment

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024)59 ‰242 ‰71 ‰ranked 1,910 of 3,163
Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026)4.3%3.9%2.3%ranked 834 of 3,163

Tourism

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025)2.3 nights3.20.4ranked 187 of 1,250
Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)1,141 ‰835 ‰200 ‰ranked 202 of 1,250
Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)52.2 ‰29.7 ‰11.8 ‰ranked 212 of 1,362

Environment

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)3.10 km4.46 km4.05 kmranked 1,063 of 1,695

Health

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024)0.22 ‰1.99 ‰0.52 ‰ranked 2,669 of 2,833
Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024)0.22 ‰0.45 ‰0.46 ‰ranked 2,606 of 2,807

Education

IndicatorZăbalaCovasna CountyNationalPosition?Rank
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)91 ‰147 ‰91 ‰ranked 1,569 of 3,158
Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025)2.2 per 10,000 inh.3.6 per 10,000 inh.3.6 per 10,000 inh.ranked 2,489 of 3,122

Businesses by activity: Zăbala

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

Most common activities

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Zăbala?

Zăbala has 4,521 residents (2026), ranking 888 of 3,181 localities.

How big is Zăbala?

Zăbala covers 126.1 km², with a density of 36 people per km².

Is the population of Zăbala growing?

Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zăbala went from 4,868 to 4,521, a change of −7.1%.

Where is Zăbala?

Zăbala is in Covasna County. Latitude 45.889, longitude 26.195.

Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zăbala?

In Zăbala, “Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.22 ‰ (2025), ranking 2,396 of 2,438 localities; the national median is 1.53 ‰.

People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zăbala?

In Zăbala, “People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 9.5 ‰ (2025), ranking 3,049 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 17.3 ‰.

Which localities border Zăbala?

The nearest to Zăbala are Covasna (4.5 km), Catalina (8.1 km), Ghelința (11 km), Brateș (12 km), Târgu Secuiesc (13 km).