Desești: population and statistics
Desești has a population of 2,202 (2026) across 142.4 km², or 15.5 people per km². It ranks 2,165 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.2% between 2016 and 2026.
- 2,202 residents
- 142.4 km²
- 16 people/km²
Key points
Among the 76 localities in Maramureș County, Desești ranks No. 59 by population.
Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants: 28.16 km in Desești, compared with an average of 5.63 km in Maramureș County and 4.84 km nationally.
People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: 8.6 ‰ in Desești, compared with an average of 13.5 ‰ in Maramureș County and 18.5 ‰ nationally.
Desești: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (38 businesses).
Desești in numbers
Where is Desești?
Population of Desești over time
Desești had 2,373 residents in 2016 and 2,202 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,311 |
| 2022 | 2,272 |
| 2023 | 2,245 |
| 2024 | 2,218 |
| 2025 | 2,227 |
| 2026 | 2,202 |
Did you know?
- “Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 94% of localities.
- “Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant”: higher than in 91% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 19,948 football pitches.
- Its population density is 5.9 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous locality is Ocna Șugatag (4,122 residents), 7.3 km away.
All indicators for Desești
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 | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 8.6 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,982 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.6 ‰ | 15.1 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,508 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.9 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,073 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.2 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,514 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 28.16 km | 5.63 km | 7.67 km | ranked 49 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.82 ‰ | 2.03 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,052 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 892 | 213,319 | 10,177,161 | ranked 2,646 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 405.1 ‰ | 422.1 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,608 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 59.3 m² | 55.3 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 689 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.45 ‰ | 2.07 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,600 of 1,926 |
Economy
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 36.8 ‰ | 50.8 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 1,017 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.54 ‰ | 3.58 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 363 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 74 ‰ | 216 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 1,498 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 2.3% | 1.6% | 2.3% | ranked 1,572 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 4.1 nights | 1.3 | 0.4 | ranked 118 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1,761 ‰ | 687 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 136 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 90.8 ‰ | 28.5 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 127 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 28.2 m³ | 38.3 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,257 of 2,656 |
Health
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.45 ‰ | 2.03 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 1,709 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.45 ‰ | 0.50 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,452 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.45 ‰ | 0.94 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 1,167 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Desești | Maramureș County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 64 ‰ | 144 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 2,652 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.5 per 10,000 inh. | 3.3 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,057 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Desești
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 trade52 · 22.8%
- Transport and storage30 · 13.2%
- Accommodation and food services27 · 11.8%
- Manufacturing26 · 11.4%
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing21 · 9.2%
- Construction17 · 7.5%
- Administrative and support services17 · 7.5%
- Arts, entertainment and recreation15 · 6.6%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)38 · 16.7%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)34 · 14.9%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines29 · 12.7%
- Food and beverage service activities20 · 8.8%
- Accommodation18 · 7.9%
- Specialised construction activities15 · 6.6%
- Sports, amusement and recreation activities14 · 6.1%
- Manufacture of food products12 · 5.3%
- Construction of buildings12 · 5.3%
- Manufacture of wood and wood products (except furniture)11 · 4.8%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Desești?
Desești has 2,202 residents (2026), ranking 2,165 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Desești?
Desești covers 142.4 km², with a density of 16 people per km².
Is the population of Desești growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Desești went from 2,373 to 2,202, a change of −7.2%.
Where is Desești?
Desești is in Maramureș County. Latitude 47.767, longitude 23.796.
Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Desești?
In Desești, “Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 28.16 km (2025), ranking 49 of 2,728 localities; the national median is 7.67 km.
People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Desești?
In Desești, “People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 8.6 ‰ (2025), ranking 2,982 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 16.0 ‰.
Which localities border Desești?
The nearest to Desești are Ocna Șugatag (7.3 km), Giulești (12 km), Cavnic (13 km), Budești (14 km), Baia Sprie (14 km).