Bălești (Gorj County): population and statistics
Bălești has a population of 7,587 (2026) across 78.8 km², or 96.3 people per km². It ranks 393 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is growing: +2.2% between 2016 and 2026.
- 7,587 residents
- 78.8 km²
- 96 people/km²
Key points
Among the 70 localities in Gorj County, Bălești ranks No. 6 by population.
Education units per 10,000 inhabitants: 1.3 in Bălești, compared with an average of 3.4 per 10,000 inh. in Gorj County and 3.1 per 10,000 inh. nationally.
Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants: 5 ‰ in Bălești, compared with an average of 645 ‰ in Gorj County and 930 ‰ nationally.
Bălești: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (198 businesses).
Bălești in numbers
Where is Bălești?
Neighbouring localities
- Telești6.7 km · 2,765
- Arcani7.2 km · 1,321
- Drăguțești8.4 km · 5,005
- Lelești8.4 km · 1,733
- Târgu Jiu8.9 km · 89,104
- Rovinari11 km · 12,387
- Câlnic11 km · 2,192
- Turcinești16 km · 2,080
Localities of similar size
Population of Bălești over time
Bălești had 7,421 residents in 2016 and 7,587 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,462 |
| 2022 | 7,459 |
| 2023 | 7,454 |
| 2024 | 7,503 |
| 2025 | 7,564 |
| 2026 | 7,587 |
Did you know?
- “Education units per 10,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 97% of localities.
- “Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 96% of localities.
- “Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 94% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 11,029 football pitches.
- The nearest locality is Telești, 6.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Târgu Jiu (89,104 residents), 8.9 km away.
All indicators for Bălești
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 | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.7 ‰ | 16.8 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 807 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.8 ‰ | 20.4 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,679 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 6.7 ‰ | 5.8 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,657 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.5 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,719 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.78 km | 7.36 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,484 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.30 ‰ | 1.64 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 484 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 3,571 | 166,326 | 10,177,161 | ranked 345 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 470.7 ‰ | 494.2 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,756 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 52.0 m² | 48.9 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,372 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.32 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 947 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.96 km | 4.80 km | 6.17 km | ranked 632 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 299 m³ | 7,628 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 434 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 44.2 ‰ | 43.6 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 692 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.50 ‰ | 2.62 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,254 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 78 ‰ | 228 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 1,421 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 2.0% | 2.5% | 2.3% | ranked 1,732 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.0 nights | 1.0 | 0.4 | ranked 1,070 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5 ‰ | 645 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 1,199 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.8 ‰ | 25.0 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 870 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 29.1 m³ | 38.6 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,183 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.29 km | 2.56 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,263 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.66 ‰ | 2.25 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 989 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.53 ‰ | 0.54 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,016 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.13 ‰ | 1.16 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 2,110 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bălești | Gorj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 63 ‰ | 150 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 2,674 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.3 per 10,000 inh. | 3.4 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 3,004 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bălești
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 trade216 · 23.8%
- Transport and storage121 · 13.3%
- Administrative and support services82 · 9.0%
- Construction71 · 7.8%
- Accommodation and food services70 · 7.7%
- Manufacturing56 · 6.2%
- Other service activities53 · 5.8%
- Professional, scientific and technical46 · 5.1%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)198 · 21.8%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines94 · 10.3%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)93 · 10.2%
- Warehousing and transport support activities80 · 8.8%
- Specialised construction activities69 · 7.6%
- Food and beverage service activities63 · 6.9%
- Construction of buildings52 · 5.7%
- Rental and leasing activities48 · 5.3%
- Real estate activities38 · 4.2%
- Civil engineering34 · 3.7%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bălești?
Bălești has 7,587 residents (2026), ranking 393 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bălești?
Bălești covers 78.8 km², with a density of 96 people per km².
Is the population of Bălești growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bălești went from 7,421 to 7,587, a change of +2.2%.
Where is Bălești?
Bălești is in Gorj County. Latitude 45.014, longitude 23.164.
Education units per 10,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bălești?
In Bălești, “Education units per 10,000 inhabitants” stands at 1.3 per 10,000 inh. (2025), ranking 3,004 of 3,122 localities; the national median is 3.6 per 10,000 inh.
Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bălești?
In Bălești, “Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 5 ‰ (2025), ranking 1,199 of 1,250 localities; the national median is 200 ‰.
Which localities border Bălești?
The nearest to Bălești are Telești (6.7 km), Arcani (7.2 km), Drăguțești (8.4 km), Lelești (8.4 km), Târgu Jiu (8.9 km).