Galați: population and statistics
Galați has a population of 288,873 (2026) across 243.6 km², or 1,186 people per km². It ranks 6 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −5.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 288,873 residents
- 243.6 km²
- 1,186 people/km²
Key points
Among the 65 localities in Galați County, Galați ranks No. 1 by population.
Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants: 1.26 km in Galați, compared with an average of 2.25 km in Galați County and 3.48 km nationally.
Galați: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (5,454 businesses).
Galați in numbers
Where is Galați?
Population of Galați over time
Galați had 305,093 residents in 2016 and 288,873 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 307,217 |
| 2022 | 306,790 |
| 2023 | 306,396 |
| 2024 | 302,246 |
| 2025 | 295,064 |
| 2026 | 288,873 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Galați County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Galați County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 96% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 34,123 football pitches.
- Its population density is 13.1 times the national average.
All indicators for Galați
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 | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 8.3 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 3,003 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 24.2 ‰ | 22.6 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 315 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.6 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,951 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.1 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,488 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.04 km | 4.70 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,604 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.36 ‰ | 1.49 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,285 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 107,697 | 240,604 | 10,177,161 | ranked 9 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 372.8 ‰ | 394.0 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,896 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 42.6 m² | 49.4 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 2,484 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.81 ‰ | 1.36 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,275 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.26 km | 2.25 km | 6.17 km | ranked 961 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 356 m³ | 2,559 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 321 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 51.0 ‰ | 39.5 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 451 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.17 ‰ | 2.62 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 833 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 332 ‰ | 195 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 124 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 0.6% | 2.6% | 2.3% | ranked 2,803 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.6 nights | 0.6 | 0.4 | ranked 464 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 364 ‰ | 341 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 454 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.4 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 948 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 35.8 m³ | 27.6 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 852 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.95 km | 3.37 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,351 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 3.69 ‰ | 2.21 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 105 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.57 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 870 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.92 ‰ | 0.72 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 293 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Galați | Galați County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 189 ‰ | 144 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 148 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.6 per 10,000 inh. | 2.6 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,202 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Galați
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 trade6,998 · 21.0%
- Transport and storage3,796 · 11.4%
- Professional, scientific and technical3,418 · 10.2%
- Administrative and support services3,126 · 9.4%
- Manufacturing2,593 · 7.8%
- Construction2,557 · 7.7%
- Information and communication1,812 · 5.4%
- Other service activities1,752 · 5.3%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)5,454 · 16.4%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)3,433 · 10.3%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines2,919 · 8.8%
- Specialised construction activities2,400 · 7.2%
- Real estate activities1,685 · 5.1%
- Warehousing and transport support activities1,629 · 4.9%
- Office administration and business support activities1,573 · 4.7%
- Head offices and management consultancy1,529 · 4.6%
- Other professional, scientific and technical activities1,496 · 4.5%
- Construction of buildings1,378 · 4.1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Galați?
Galați has 288,873 residents (2026), ranking 6 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Galați?
Galați covers 243.6 km², with a density of 1,186 people per km².
Is the population of Galați growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Galați went from 305,093 to 288,873, a change of −5.3%.
Where is Galați?
Galați is in Galați County. Latitude 45.434, longitude 28.055.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Galați?
In Galați, “Existing dwellings” stands at 107,697 (2025), ranking 9 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Galați?
In Galați, “Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 1.26 km (2025), ranking 961 of 1,006 localities; the national median is 6.17 km.
Which localities border Galați?
The nearest to Galați are I.C. Brătianu (6.6 km), Jijila (9.4 km), Vânători (11 km), Șendreni (11 km), Vădeni (12 km).