Bălan (Harghita County): population and statistics
Bălan has a population of 7,129 (2026) across 1.4 km², or 5,056 people per km². It ranks 430 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −10.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 7,129 residents
- 1.4 km²
- 5,056 people/km²
Key points
Among the 67 localities in Harghita County, Bălan ranks No. 7 by population.
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.14 ‰ in Bălan, compared with an average of 1.36 ‰ in Harghita County and 1.87 ‰ nationally.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.14 ‰ in Bălan, compared with an average of 2.08 ‰ in Harghita County and 3.53 ‰ nationally.
Bălan: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (50 businesses).
Bălan in numbers
Where is Bălan?
Population of Bălan over time
Bălan had 7,930 residents in 2016 and 7,129 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,417 |
| 2022 | 7,334 |
| 2023 | 7,215 |
| 2024 | 7,137 |
| 2025 | 7,208 |
| 2026 | 7,129 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Harghita County for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in Harghita County for “People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 98% of localities.
- “Live births per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 97% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 197 football pitches.
- Its population density is 55.7 times the national average.
All indicators for Bălan
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 | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.5 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,283 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 22.7 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 465 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.9 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 3,055 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.5 ‰ | 11.0 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,673 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.96 km | 5.80 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,612 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.14 ‰ | 1.36 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,431 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 3,550 | 151,957 | 10,177,161 | ranked 349 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 498.0 ‰ | 472.1 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,430 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 45.7 m² | 53.5 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 2,145 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.14 ‰ | 1.17 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,893 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.64 km | 3.58 km | 6.17 km | ranked 940 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 244 m³ | 5,727 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 552 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 19.9 ‰ | 38.2 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 2,433 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.40 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 2,235 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 63 ‰ | 220 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 1,792 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.3% | 2.9% | 2.3% | ranked 2,207 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 19.2 ‰ | 42.7 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 494 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 26.0 m³ | 33.9 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,402 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.68 km | 4.61 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,399 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.14 ‰ | 2.08 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 2,771 of 2,833 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.14 ‰ | 0.74 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 2,095 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bălan | Harghita County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 72 ‰ | 159 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 2,393 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.8 per 10,000 inh. | 4.1 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,072 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bălan
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 trade67 · 21.0%
- Construction43 · 13.5%
- Administrative and support services32 · 10.0%
- Transport and storage30 · 9.4%
- Professional, scientific and technical28 · 8.8%
- Manufacturing26 · 8.2%
- Accommodation and food services22 · 6.9%
- Other service activities19 · 6.0%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)50 · 15.7%
- Specialised construction activities38 · 11.9%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)27 · 8.5%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines23 · 7.2%
- Food and beverage service activities20 · 6.3%
- Construction of buildings18 · 5.6%
- Office administration and business support activities18 · 5.6%
- Repair of computers and personal and household goods14 · 4.4%
- Civil engineering13 · 4.1%
- Warehousing and transport support activities13 · 4.1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bălan?
Bălan has 7,129 residents (2026), ranking 430 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bălan?
Bălan covers 1.4 km², with a density of 5,056 people per km².
Is the population of Bălan growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bălan went from 7,930 to 7,129, a change of −10.1%.
Where is Bălan?
Bălan is in Harghita County. Latitude 46.650, longitude 25.810.
Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bălan?
In Bălan, “Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.14 ‰ (2025), ranking 2,431 of 2,438 localities; the national median is 1.53 ‰.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bălan?
In Bălan, “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.14 ‰ (2024), ranking 2,771 of 2,833 localities; the national median is 0.52 ‰.
Which localities border Bălan?
The nearest to Bălan are Sândominic (4.5 km), Tomești (9.8 km), Voșlăbeni (12 km), Dămuc (13 km), Cârța (14 km).