Tulcea: population and statistics
Tulcea has a population of 77,647 (2026) across 200.0 km², or 388 people per km². It ranks 30 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −13.5% between 2016 and 2026.
- 77,647 residents
- 200.0 km²
- 388 people/km²
Key points
Among the 51 localities in Tulcea County, Tulcea ranks No. 1 by population.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: 441 ‰ in Tulcea, compared with an average of 221 ‰ in Tulcea County and 252 ‰ nationally.
Tulcea: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (1,500 businesses).
Tulcea in numbers
Where is Tulcea?
Population of Tulcea over time
Tulcea had 89,777 residents in 2016 and 77,647 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 84,177 |
| 2022 | 82,823 |
| 2023 | 81,589 |
| 2024 | 80,235 |
| 2025 | 78,862 |
| 2026 | 77,647 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Tulcea County for “Population (by registered residence)”.
- Number 1 in Tulcea County for “Population density”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 98% of localities.
- “Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 96% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 28,010 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.3 times the national average.
All indicators for Tulcea
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 | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.2 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 2,614 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 21.8 ‰ | 20.0 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 590 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.5 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,693 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.5 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,368 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.61 km | 7.73 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,516 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.50 ‰ | 1.05 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,147 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 29,377 | 99,726 | 10,177,161 | ranked 39 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 378.3 ‰ | 458.9 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,857 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 50.3 m² | 49.3 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 1,576 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.21 ‰ | 0.58 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,852 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.15 km | 2.00 km | 6.17 km | ranked 965 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 314 m³ | 705 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 406 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 56.1 ‰ | 41.6 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 344 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.42 ‰ | 2.25 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,317 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 441 ‰ | 221 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 55 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | ranked 2,276 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 1.0 nights | 2.2 | 0.4 | ranked 342 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 534 ‰ | 981 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 349 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 26.1 ‰ | 62.4 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 386 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 47.6 m³ | 52.8 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 454 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.01 km | 3.88 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,335 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.91 ‰ | 1.55 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 176 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.39 ‰ | 0.39 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,826 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1.20 ‰ | 0.73 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 136 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Tulcea | Tulcea County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 170 ‰ | 120 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 224 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.1 per 10,000 inh. | 3.5 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 1,857 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Tulcea
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 trade1,891 · 17.9%
- Transport and storage1,377 · 13.0%
- Professional, scientific and technical998 · 9.4%
- Administrative and support services979 · 9.3%
- Manufacturing944 · 8.9%
- Construction809 · 7.6%
- Real estate632 · 6.0%
- Accommodation and food services587 · 5.5%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)1,500 · 14.2%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines1,006 · 9.5%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)919 · 8.7%
- Specialised construction activities744 · 7.0%
- Real estate activities632 · 6.0%
- Warehousing and transport support activities512 · 4.8%
- Office administration and business support activities487 · 4.6%
- Other professional, scientific and technical activities460 · 4.3%
- Food and beverage service activities459 · 4.3%
- Head offices and management consultancy448 · 4.2%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Tulcea?
Tulcea has 77,647 residents (2026), ranking 30 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Tulcea?
Tulcea covers 200.0 km², with a density of 388 people per km².
Is the population of Tulcea growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Tulcea went from 89,777 to 77,647, a change of −13.5%.
Where is Tulcea?
Tulcea is in Tulcea County. Latitude 45.178, longitude 28.804.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Tulcea?
In Tulcea, “Existing dwellings” stands at 29,377 (2025), ranking 39 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Tulcea?
In Tulcea, “Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 441 ‰ (2024), ranking 55 of 3,163 localities; the national median is 71 ‰.
Which localities border Tulcea?
The nearest to Tulcea are Ceatalchioi (9.0 km), Nufăru (12 km), Somova (13 km), Frecăței (14 km), Mihail Kogălniceanu (18 km).