Zalău: population and statistics
Zalău has a population of 66,139 (2026) across 90.3 km², or 732 people per km². It ranks 35 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −5.4% between 2016 and 2026.
- 66,139 residents
- 90.3 km²
- 732 people/km²
Key points
Among the 61 localities in Sălaj County, Zalău ranks No. 1 by population.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: 4.76 ‰ in Zalău, compared with an average of 2.13 ‰ in Sălaj County and 3.53 ‰ nationally.
Zalău: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (1,453 businesses).
Zalău in numbers
Where is Zalău?
Population of Zalău over time
Zalău had 69,884 residents in 2016 and 66,139 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 68,760 |
| 2022 | 68,298 |
| 2023 | 67,684 |
| 2024 | 67,104 |
| 2025 | 66,573 |
| 2026 | 66,139 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Sălaj County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Sălaj County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 12,647 football pitches.
- Its population density is 8.1 times the national average.
All indicators for Zalău
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 | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.7 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,532 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 19.0 ‰ | 16.3 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 1,126 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.0 ‰ | 8.8 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 1,505 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 7.0 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 3,042 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.34 km | 7.56 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,553 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.07 ‰ | 1.93 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 921 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 25,323 | 109,182 | 10,177,161 | ranked 46 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 382.9 ‰ | 462.4 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,821 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 52.7 m² | 52.2 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,282 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.13 ‰ | 2.60 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 358 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.00 km | 4.43 km | 6.17 km | ranked 832 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 513 m³ | 5,957 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 147 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 61.9 ‰ | 41.7 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 262 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.27 ‰ | 2.57 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 781 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 446 ‰ | 223 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 51 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.2% | 4.0% | 2.3% | ranked 2,276 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.5 nights | 0.4 | 0.4 | ranked 523 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 327 ‰ | 212 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 490 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.3 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 694 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 44.2 m³ | 35.4 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 536 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.39 km | 5.15 km | 4.05 km | ranked 995 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 4.76 ‰ | 2.13 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 46 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.50 ‰ | 0.48 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,171 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.16 ‰ | 0.94 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 154 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Zalău | Sălaj County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 211 ‰ | 154 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 89 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.1 per 10,000 inh. | 4.4 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,258 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Zalău
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 trade2,094 · 20.7%
- Transport and storage1,061 · 10.5%
- Professional, scientific and technical986 · 9.8%
- Administrative and support services954 · 9.5%
- Construction904 · 9.0%
- Manufacturing813 · 8.1%
- Real estate659 · 6.5%
- Information and communication521 · 5.2%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)1,453 · 14.4%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)1,234 · 12.2%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines868 · 8.6%
- Specialised construction activities791 · 7.8%
- Real estate activities659 · 6.5%
- Construction of buildings519 · 5.1%
- Warehousing and transport support activities506 · 5.0%
- Rental and leasing activities474 · 4.7%
- Head offices and management consultancy406 · 4.0%
- Office administration and business support activities396 · 3.9%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Zalău?
Zalău has 66,139 residents (2026), ranking 35 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Zalău?
Zalău covers 90.3 km², with a density of 732 people per km².
Is the population of Zalău growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Zalău went from 69,884 to 66,139, a change of −5.4%.
Where is Zalău?
Zalău is in Sălaj County. Latitude 47.191, longitude 23.057.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Zalău?
In Zalău, “Existing dwellings” stands at 25,323 (2025), ranking 46 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Zalău?
In Zalău, “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 4.76 ‰ (2024), ranking 46 of 2,833 localities; the national median is 0.52 ‰.
Which localities border Zalău?
The nearest to Zalău are Crișeni (7.2 km), Meseșenii de Jos (7.2 km), Mirșid (8.5 km), Vârșolț (9.4 km), Hereclean (9.7 km).