Essen Population: 574,682 (2025)
The population of Essen was 574,682 on 1 January 2025, counting the city of Essen as Eurostat defines it.
Updated September 2026. The population figure is for 1 January 2025. It is the newest population figure in the Eurostat data we retrieved on 1 September 2026 (Eurostat last updated this table on 31 August 2026). Reporting dates and availability vary by area and indicator.
Which Essen population is this?
| Essen city area (Eurostat) | 574,682 (2025) This figure |
|---|---|
| Metro population (city plus commuting zone) | Not in our data yet |
This is Eurostat's "city" area: the local administrative unit or units where most people live in the urban centre. It is a different definition from a metro area (a city plus its commuting zone). Municipal, greater-city and metro populations are different ways of defining an area, not a population time series. We have not linked a municipal or metro population to this page; adding one needs a verified area relationship and data approved for display.
Source: Eurostat, Population on 1 January by age groups and sex - cities and greater cities · year 2025
About this data
- Population on 1 January by age groups and sex - cities and greater cities (urb_cpop1)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Population on 1 January, total (DE1001V), 2025, unit: persons. Residents on 1 January of the year shown, for the area Eurostat defines.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
How much does housing cost in Essen?
Average purchase prices reported to Eurostat. Rents are not included, and these prices are not a full cost-of-living measure.
Average house price
€515,566.23
Average apartment price
€186,441.05
House price per m²
€3,575.09per m²
Apartment price per m²
€2,372.21per m²
Source: Eurostat, Living conditions - cities and greater cities · year 2022
About this data
- Living conditions - cities and greater cities (urb_clivcon)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Average price for buying a house (SA1050V), 2022, unit: EUR. Average price reported for the area; not every city reports it.
- Average price for buying an apartment (SA1051V), 2022, unit: EUR. Average price reported for the area; not every city reports it.
- Average price for buying a house per m2 (SA1052V), 2022, unit: EUR per m2. Average price per square metre reported for the area; not every city reports it.
- Average price for buying an apartment per m2 (SA1053V), 2022, unit: EUR per m2. Average price per square metre reported for the area; not every city reports it.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
Jobs and unemployment in Essen
Unemployment is the share of the labour force without work, as reported to Eurostat. National definitions and sources can differ, and the registered-unemployment rate a national agency publishes may differ too. Jobs are counted where people work, so a city with many commuters can have more jobs than residents.
Unemployment rate
6.51%
Jobs located in the area
306,000jobs
- Estimate (Eurostat flag
e): Eurostat or the national office estimated this value.
Source: Eurostat, Labour market - cities and greater cities · year 2023
About this data
- Labour market - cities and greater cities (urb_clma)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Unemployment rate (EC1020I), 2023, unit: percent, Eurostat flag e. Share of the labour force without a job; national definitions can differ.
- Total employment/jobs (workplace based) (EC2020V), 2023, unit: jobs, Eurostat flag e. Jobs located in the area, not the number of employed residents or job openings.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
Students in Essen
Higher-education students per 1,000 residents
60.3
Source: Eurostat, Education - cities and greater cities · year 2023
About this data
- Education - cities and greater cities (urb_ceduc)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Share of students in higher education in the total population (TE1026I), 2023, unit: students per 1000 residents. Students in higher education per 1,000 residents, counted where they are enrolled; not the share of residents with a degree.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
Births and deaths in Essen
Births per 1,000 residents
9.67
Deaths per 1,000 residents
13.28
- Series break (Eurostat flag
b): The source series changed method or coverage, so earlier years are not directly comparable.
Source: Eurostat, Fertility and mortality - cities and greater cities · years 2023–2024
About this data
- Fertility and mortality - cities and greater cities (urb_cfermor)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Crude birth rate (SA2007I), 2023, unit: births per 1000 residents. Live births per 1,000 residents in the year; not a fertility rate.
- Crude death rate (SA2029I), 2024, unit: deaths per 1000 residents, Eurostat flag b. Deaths per 1,000 residents in the year; an older population raises it.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
Getting around Essen
Eurostat figures on travel costs, car ownership and road safety.
Registered cars per 1,000 residents
442.45
Road deaths per 10,000 residents
0.05
5 km daytime taxi ride
€16.40
- Series break (Eurostat flag
b): The source series changed method or coverage, so earlier years are not directly comparable.
Not shown here
- Length of bicycle network (dedicated cycle paths and lanes) (2022): withheld because the unit Eurostat reports is unresolved. Correction record.
Source: Eurostat, Transport - cities and greater cities · years 2023–2024
About this data
- Transport - cities and greater cities (urb_ctran)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Number of registered cars per 1000 population (TT1057I), 2023, unit: cars per 1000 population. Cars registered in the area per 1,000 residents; company and leasing fleets registered here count too.
- People killed in road accidents per 10000 population (TT1060I), 2024, unit: deaths per 10000 population, Eurostat flag b. Road deaths per 10,000 residents; small numbers vary a lot from year to year.
- Cost of a taxi ride of 5 km to the centre at daytime (TT1081V), 2023, unit: EUR. Price of a 5 km daytime taxi ride; one cost, not a cost-of-living measure.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
Culture in Essen
Cinema seats per 1,000 residents
15.19
Cinema visits per year
746,549visits
Public libraries
54libraries
- Series break (Eurostat flag
b): The source series changed method or coverage, so earlier years are not directly comparable.
Source: Eurostat, Culture and tourism - cities and greater cities · years 2023–2025
About this data
- Culture and tourism - cities and greater cities (urb_ctour)
- exact Eurostat query; Eurostat update 31 August 2026; retrieved 1 September 2026.
- Number of cinema seats per 1000 residents (CR1003I), 2025, unit: seats per 1000 residents, Eurostat flag b. Cinema seats per 1,000 residents.
- Cinema attendance per year (CR1005V), 2025, unit: visits per year, Eurostat flag b. Cinema visits in the year, where reported.
- Number of public libraries (all distribution points) (CR1010V), 2023, unit: libraries. Public library service points, where reported.
- Area
- the city of Essen, as defined by Eurostat (Eurostat provider code DE006C). Eurostat does not state which boundary year this area uses.
- Treatment
- Values are shown as published, with digit grouping; counts, euro amounts and lengths drop a decimal part that is all zeros. Each figure keeps its own year, so this is not a like-for-like comparison or ranking.
What do residents think of Essen?
50.7% of residents strongly agree they are satisfied to live here (survey 2023). Essen quality of life: all 7 resident survey questions, with definitions and sources.
Figures not shown for Essen
Not shown here
- Average annual rent for housing per m2 (2022): withheld because the unit Eurostat reports is unresolved. Correction record.
Essen FAQ
How many people live in Essen?
Eurostat reports 574,682 residents in the city of Essen on 1 January 2025.
Is this the metro-area population of Essen?
This is the figure for the city of Essen. We have not linked a metro-area population to this page. Eurostat defines a metro area (functional urban area) as a city plus its commuting zone.
Why do other sites show a different population for Essen?
Population figures depend on the area counted (the municipality, a wider greater-city area, or the whole metro area) and on the year. Many sites also show projections for the current year. This page shows the newest population figure in our Eurostat data, for 1 January 2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Essen?
Eurostat reports 6.51% for 2023 (estimate).
How much does an apartment cost in Essen?
The average purchase price was €2,372.21 per m² in 2022. This is a purchase price, not rent, and not a full cost-of-living measure.
About this page's data
Every figure on this page comes from Eurostat's City Statistics, the EU's official statistics for cities. National statistical offices supply most figures; the resident survey is run by the European Commission. This page lists 16 of the figures Eurostat publishes for the city of Essen; the resident survey figures are listed in full on their own page. Each figure carries its own year, and years differ, so the page is not a ranking or a like-for-like comparison with other cities.
Eurostat and the national statistical offices define the exact area of the city of Essen; this site does not yet publish a boundary map.
The page name is the label Eurostat uses for this area: Essen (Eurostat provider code DE006C).
Updated September 2026: we last refreshed these figures from Eurostat on 1 September 2026. Each one is the newest figure we can show for this area from that data, and each shows its own year. Reporting dates and availability vary by area and indicator.
Missing figures stay missing. We never fill a gap with a regional or national average. We plan to add which country the area is in and a map, climate and metropolitan-area population once each has passed its own source and rights review.
Source: Eurostat. Cities of Europe selected and reformatted these figures; Eurostat is not responsible for this presentation. Read the methodology, the full source list and our corrections log.