Balș (Olt County): population and statistics
Balș has a population of 19,018 (2026) across 41.7 km², or 456 people per km². It ranks 114 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −10.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 19,018 residents
- 41.7 km²
- 456 people/km²
Key points
Among the 112 localities in Olt County, Balș ranks No. 3 by population.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: 200 ‰ in Balș, compared with an average of 137 ‰ in Olt County and 163 ‰ nationally.
Balș: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (298 businesses).
Balș in numbers
Where is Balș?
Neighbouring localities
- Baldovinești5.1 km · 988
- Bobicești5.3 km · 3,009
- Oboga7.6 km · 1,598
- Bârza7.7 km · 2,481
- Voineasa8.1 km · 2,003
- Găvănești9.3 km · 1,718
- Pielești11 km · 4,904
- Pârșcoveni11 km · 2,725
Localities of similar size
Population of Balș over time
Balș had 21,195 residents in 2016 and 19,018 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,171 |
| 2022 | 19,927 |
| 2023 | 19,696 |
| 2024 | 19,480 |
| 2025 | 19,162 |
| 2026 | 19,018 |
Did you know?
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 93% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 5,839 football pitches.
- Its population density is 5.0 times the national average.
- The nearest locality is Baldovinești, 5.1 km away.
- The nearest more populous locality is Craiova (278,599 residents), 23 km away.
All indicators for Balș
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 | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.9 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,201 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 23.2 ‰ | 19.5 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 416 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.9 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,073 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.1 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,751 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.94 km | 7.19 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,262 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.16 ‰ | 1.41 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,507 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 8,735 | 211,826 | 10,177,161 | ranked 116 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 459.3 ‰ | 526.0 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 1,904 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 50.4 m² | 47.1 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,562 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.52 ‰ | 1.82 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 490 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.64 km | 3.43 km | 6.17 km | ranked 863 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 238 m³ | 4,558 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 567 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 45.4 ‰ | 37.4 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 654 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.05 ‰ | 2.31 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 488 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 173 ‰ | 187 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 489 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 0.7% | 3.1% | 2.3% | ranked 2,728 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.1 nights | 0.5 | 0.4 | ranked 868 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 108 ‰ | 284 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 791 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.6 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 1,168 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 26.4 m³ | 38.9 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,375 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.05 km | 4.04 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,322 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.68 ‰ | 1.96 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 188 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.58 ‰ | 0.67 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 828 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.53 ‰ | 0.75 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 919 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Balș | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 200 ‰ | 137 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 117 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.2 per 10,000 inh. | 3.9 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,204 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Balș
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 trade418 · 23.2%
- Transport and storage242 · 13.4%
- Construction239 · 13.2%
- Manufacturing152 · 8.4%
- Administrative and support services133 · 7.4%
- Professional, scientific and technical119 · 6.6%
- Accommodation and food services103 · 5.7%
- Other service activities96 · 5.3%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)298 · 16.5%
- Specialised construction activities224 · 12.4%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)222 · 12.3%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines202 · 11.2%
- Construction of buildings159 · 8.8%
- Civil engineering106 · 5.9%
- Food and beverage service activities99 · 5.5%
- Warehousing and transport support activities88 · 4.9%
- Real estate activities64 · 3.5%
- Other personal service activities56 · 3.1%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Balș?
Balș has 19,018 residents (2026), ranking 114 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Balș?
Balș covers 41.7 km², with a density of 456 people per km².
Is the population of Balș growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Balș went from 21,195 to 19,018, a change of −10.3%.
Where is Balș?
Balș is in Olt County. Latitude 44.354, longitude 24.099.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Balș?
In Balș, “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 200 ‰ (2025), ranking 117 of 3,158 localities; the national median is 91 ‰.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Balș?
In Balș, “Existing dwellings” stands at 8,735 (2025), ranking 116 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Which localities border Balș?
The nearest to Balș are Baldovinești (5.1 km), Bobicești (5.3 km), Oboga (7.6 km), Bârza (7.7 km), Voineasa (8.1 km).