Carei: population and statistics
Carei has a population of 22,848 (2026) across 102.5 km², or 223 people per km². It ranks 100 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −7.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 22,848 residents
- 102.5 km²
- 223 people/km²
Key points
Among the 65 localities in Satu Mare County, Carei ranks No. 2 by population.
Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants: 1.79 ‰ in Carei, compared with an average of 0.80 ‰ in Satu Mare County and 1.08 ‰ nationally.
Carei: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (363 businesses).
Carei in numbers
Where is Carei?
Population of Carei over time
Carei had 24,606 residents in 2016 and 22,848 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 23,892 |
| 2022 | 23,606 |
| 2023 | 23,450 |
| 2024 | 23,195 |
| 2025 | 23,032 |
| 2026 | 22,848 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Satu Mare County for “Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 97% of localities.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 14,363 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.5 times the national average.
- The nearest locality is Cămin, 5.6 km away.
All indicators for Carei
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 | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 9.8 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,818 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.6 ‰ | 14.6 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 2,855 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.9 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,547 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 12.0 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 1,885 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.25 km | 5.74 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,403 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.44 ‰ | 2.34 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 1,266 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 9,877 | 158,672 | 10,177,161 | ranked 103 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 432.3 ‰ | 422.7 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,256 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 52.1 m² | 55.3 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,358 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.09 ‰ | 2.01 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,081 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.72 km | 4.44 km | 6.17 km | ranked 774 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 465 m³ | 6,399 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 183 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 46.5 ‰ | 44.1 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 609 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.88 ‰ | 2.61 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,771 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 318 ‰ | 213 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 145 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | ranked 1,522 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.4 nights | 0.7 | 0.4 | ranked 582 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 289 ‰ | 569 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 526 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 5.8 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 987 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 25.9 m³ | 27.5 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,409 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.19 km | 4.61 km | 4.05 km | ranked 810 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.80 ‰ | 1.79 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 181 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.44 ‰ | 0.49 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,536 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.79 ‰ | 0.80 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 33 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Carei | Satu Mare County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 202 ‰ | 138 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 111 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.5 per 10,000 inh. | 3.4 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,575 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Carei
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 trade590 · 24.7%
- Transport and storage297 · 12.5%
- Administrative and support services233 · 9.8%
- Professional, scientific and technical209 · 8.8%
- Manufacturing206 · 8.6%
- Construction169 · 7.1%
- Real estate130 · 5.5%
- Accommodation and food services110 · 4.6%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)363 · 15.2%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)362 · 15.2%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines246 · 10.3%
- Specialised construction activities151 · 6.3%
- Office administration and business support activities143 · 6.0%
- Warehousing and transport support activities142 · 6.0%
- Real estate activities130 · 5.5%
- Food and beverage service activities103 · 4.3%
- Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing95 · 4.0%
- Construction of buildings84 · 3.5%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Carei?
Carei has 22,848 residents (2026), ranking 100 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Carei?
Carei covers 102.5 km², with a density of 223 people per km².
Is the population of Carei growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Carei went from 24,606 to 22,848, a change of −7.1%.
Where is Carei?
Carei is in Satu Mare County. Latitude 47.690, longitude 22.470.
Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Carei?
In Carei, “Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 1.79 ‰ (2024), ranking 33 of 2,248 localities; the national median is 0.47 ‰.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Carei?
In Carei, “Existing dwellings” stands at 9,877 (2025), ranking 103 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Which localities border Carei?
The nearest to Carei are Cămin (5.6 km), Urziceni (6.8 km), Căpleni (7.0 km), Foieni (7.8 km), Berveni (8.3 km).