Bârlad: population and statistics
Bârlad has a population of 64,938 (2026) across 20.4 km², or 3,180 people per km². It ranks 37 of 3,181 localities by population. Its population is falling: −11.0% between 2016 and 2026.
- 64,938 residents
- 20.4 km²
- 3,180 people/km²
Key points
Among the 86 localities in Vaslui County, Bârlad ranks No. 2 by population.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: 2.65 ‰ in Bârlad, compared with an average of 1.20 ‰ in Vaslui County and 3.53 ‰ nationally.
Bârlad: the most common activity among active businesses is Retail trade (except motor vehicles) (1,304 businesses).
Bârlad in numbers
Where is Bârlad?
Population of Bârlad over time
Bârlad had 72,937 residents in 2016 and 64,938 in 2026.
| Year | Population (by registered residence) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 68,877 |
| 2022 | 67,683 |
| 2023 | 66,675 |
| 2024 | 65,909 |
| 2025 | 65,284 |
| 2026 | 64,938 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Vaslui County for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in Vaslui County for “Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “Existing dwellings”: higher than in 99% of localities.
- “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 93% of localities.
- “School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 92% of localities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,860 football pitches.
- Its population density is 35.0 times the national average.
All indicators for Bârlad
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 | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People settling in the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.8 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | ranked 1,219 of 3,163 | |
| People leaving the municipality per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 18.1 ‰ | 31.0 ‰ | 17.3 ‰ | ranked 1,354 of 3,163 | |
| Live births per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.6 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | ranked 2,660 of 3,157 | |
| Deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 10.7 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 13.0 ‰ | ranked 2,295 of 3,163 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the drinking-water network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.80 km | 3.24 km | 7.67 km | ranked 2,632 of 2,728 | |
| Building permits for residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.52 ‰ | 1.23 ‰ | 1.53 ‰ | ranked 2,128 of 2,438 | |
| Existing dwellings (2025) | 26,709 | 186,587 | 10,177,161 | ranked 43 of 3,181 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 411.3 ‰ | 375.3 ‰ | 484.8 ‰ | ranked 2,551 of 3,163 | |
| Average living floor area per dwelling (m²) (2025) | 43.1 m² | 44.6 m² | 50.3 m² | ranked 2,427 of 3,163 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 0.51 ‰ | 1.07 ‰ | 1.30 ‰ | ranked 1,545 of 1,926 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the gas distribution network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.32 km | 2.38 km | 6.17 km | ranked 891 of 1,006 | |
| Natural gas distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 285 m³ | 1,771 m³ | 325,688 m³ | ranked 468 of 1,023 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active companies in the trade register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 40.2 ‰ | 22.9 ‰ | 29.4 ‰ | ranked 847 of 3,163 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.08 ‰ | 1.52 ‰ | 2.10 ‰ | ranked 1,592 of 3,163 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 198 ‰ | 114 ‰ | 71 ‰ | ranked 407 of 3,163 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of labour resources (working-age population) (2026) | 1.0% | 3.1% | 2.3% | ranked 2,436 of 3,163 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist overnight stays per inhabitant (2025) | 0.3 nights | 0.2 | 0.4 | ranked 658 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist arrivals per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 204 ‰ | 145 ‰ | 200 ‰ | ranked 621 of 1,250 | |
| Tourist accommodation places per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.6 ‰ | 3.8 ‰ | 11.8 ‰ | ranked 1,248 of 1,362 |
Environment
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinking water distributed per inhabitant (m³) (2025) | 27.9 m³ | 20.6 m³ | 27.2 m³ | ranked 1,274 of 2,656 | |
| Length of the sewer network per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.54 km | 2.02 km | 4.05 km | ranked 1,206 of 1,695 |
Health
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 2.65 ‰ | 1.20 ‰ | 0.52 ‰ | ranked 191 of 2,833 | |
| Family doctors per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.37 ‰ | 0.29 ‰ | 0.46 ‰ | ranked 1,942 of 2,807 | |
| Pharmacists per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 0.80 ‰ | 0.49 ‰ | 0.47 ‰ | ranked 413 of 2,248 |
Education
| Indicator | Bârlad | Vaslui County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School population (children, pupils and students) per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 167 ‰ | 109 ‰ | 91 ‰ | ranked 238 of 3,158 | |
| Education units per 10,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.3 per 10,000 inh. | 2.6 per 10,000 inh. | 3.6 per 10,000 inh. | ranked 2,418 of 3,122 |
Businesses by activity: Bârlad
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 trade1,543 · 21.8%
- Transport and storage1,016 · 14.3%
- Construction589 · 8.3%
- Manufacturing577 · 8.1%
- Administrative and support services570 · 8.0%
- Professional, scientific and technical493 · 7.0%
- Accommodation and food services466 · 6.6%
- Other service activities412 · 5.8%
Most common activities
- Retail trade (except motor vehicles)1,304 · 18.4%
- Land transport and transport via pipelines904 · 12.8%
- Wholesale trade (except motor vehicles)786 · 11.1%
- Specialised construction activities535 · 7.5%
- Warehousing and transport support activities458 · 6.5%
- Food and beverage service activities445 · 6.3%
- Construction of buildings440 · 6.2%
- Real estate activities332 · 4.7%
- Civil engineering291 · 4.1%
- Office administration and business support activities275 · 3.9%
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bârlad?
Bârlad has 64,938 residents (2026), ranking 37 of 3,181 localities.
How big is Bârlad?
Bârlad covers 20.4 km², with a density of 3,180 people per km².
Is the population of Bârlad growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Bârlad went from 72,937 to 64,938, a change of −11.0%.
Where is Bârlad?
Bârlad is in Vaslui County. Latitude 46.217, longitude 27.667.
Existing dwellings: what is the figure for Bârlad?
In Bârlad, “Existing dwellings” stands at 26,709 (2025), ranking 43 of 3,181 localities; the national median is 1,464.
Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Bârlad?
In Bârlad, “Doctors per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 2.65 ‰ (2024), ranking 191 of 2,833 localities; the national median is 0.52 ‰.
Which localities border Bârlad?
The nearest to Bârlad are Grivița (5.1 km), Ciocani (6.4 km), Fruntișeni (6.7 km), Zorleni (8.2 km), Perieni (9.8 km).