Caracal: population and statistics
Caracal has a population of 31,024 (2026) across 71.0 km², or 437 people per km². It ranks 77 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −12.0% between 2016 and 2026.
- 31,024 residents
- 71.0 km²
- 437 people/km²
Key points
Among the 112 localities in Olt County, Caracal ranks No. 2 by population.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: 250 ‰ in Caracal, compared with an average of 137 ‰ in Olt County and 163 ‰ nationally.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: 4.16 ‰ in Caracal, compared with an average of 1.96 ‰ in Olt County and 3.53 ‰ nationally.
Caracal: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (645 businesses).
Caracal in numbers
Where is Caracal?
Neighbouring localities
- Dobrosloveni7.5 km · 3,542
- Drăghiceni7.9 km · 1,763
- Deveselu8.2 km · 2,963
- Redea8.4 km · 2,405
- Fărcașele9.9 km · 4,419
- Cezieni11 km · 1,502
- Vlădila12 km · 1,846
- Stoenești12 km · 2,064
Localities of similar size
Population of Caracal over time
Caracal had 35,256 residents in 2016 and 31,024 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,260 |
| 2022 | 32,728 |
| 2023 | 32,302 |
| 2024 | 31,899 |
| 2025 | 31,376 |
| 2026 | 31,024 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Olt County for “Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 9,937 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.8 times the national average.
- The nearest locality is Dobrosloveni, 7.5 km away.
All indicators for Caracal
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 | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 14.2 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,009 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 21.4 ‰ | 19.5 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 656 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.8 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,589 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.9 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,554 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.32 km | 7.19 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,390 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.58 ‰ | 1.41 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,078 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 12,966 | 211,826 | 10,177,161 | ranked 80 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 417.9 ‰ | 526.0 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,454 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 47.1 m² | 47.1 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,956 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.26 ‰ | 1.82 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,805 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.90 km | 3.43 km | 6.17 km | ranked 840 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 386 m³ | 4,558 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 274 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 45.6 ‰ | 37.4 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 646 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.48 ‰ | 2.31 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,270 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 326 ‰ | 187 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 130 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.5% | 3.1% | 2.3% | ranked 2,069 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.3 nights | 0.5 | 0.4 | ranked 658 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 117 ‰ | 284 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 767 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.7 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 654 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 37.1 m³ | 38.9 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 795 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.65 km | 4.04 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,184 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 4.16 ‰ | 1.96 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 70 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.61 ‰ | 0.67 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 732 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.68 ‰ | 0.75 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 585 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Caracal | Olt County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 250 ‰ | 137 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 44 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.9 per 10,000 inh. | 3.9 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,997 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Caracal
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 trade770 · 27.4%
- Transport and storage283 · 10.1%
- Manufacturing237 · 8.4%
- Administrative and support services206 · 7.3%
- Accommodation and food services202 · 7.2%
- Professional, scientific and technical200 · 7.1%
- Construction199 · 7.1%
- Other service activities154 · 5.5%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)645 · 23.0%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)322 · 11.5%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines226 · 8.0%
- Specialised construction activities181 · 6.4%
- Food and beverage service activities174 · 6.2%
- Construction of buildings134 · 4.8%
- Real estate activities125 · 4.5%
- Warehousing and transport support activities108 · 3.8%
- Office administration and business support activities108 · 3.8%
- Other personal service activities92 · 3.3%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Caracal?
Caracal has 31,024 residents (2026), ranking 77 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Caracal?
Caracal covers 71.0 km², with a density of 437 people per km².
Is the population of Caracal growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Caracal went from 35,256 to 31,024, a change of −12.0%.
Where is Caracal?
Caracal is in Olt County. Latitude 44.100, longitude 24.333.
School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Caracal?
In Caracal, “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 250 ‰ (2025), ranking 44 of 3,158 localities; the national median is 91 ‰.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Caracal?
In Caracal, “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 4.16 ‰ (2024), ranking 70 of 2,833 localities; the national median is 0.52 ‰.
Which localities border Caracal?
The nearest to Caracal are Dobrosloveni (7.5 km), Drăghiceni (7.9 km), Deveselu (8.2 km), Redea (8.4 km), Fărcașele (9.9 km).