Herentals: population and statistics
Herentals has a population of 29,163 (2026) across 48.0 km², or 608 people per km². It ranks 96 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.2% between 2016 and 2026.
- 29,163 residents
- 48.0 km²
- 608 people/km²
- 18 m
Key points
Among the 67 municipalities in Antwerp, Herentals ranks No. 11 by population.
Share of inhabitants under 20: 18.4% in Herentals, compared with an average of 22.1% in Antwerp and 21.8% nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 20.1% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,041 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of inhabitants under 20”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,716 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Olen, 4.0 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Heist-op-den-Berg (44,991 residents), 14 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,164 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Herentals in numbers
All indicators for Herentals
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 24.5% | 21.0% | 21.7% | ranked 81 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 18.4% | 22.1% | 21.5% | ranked 537 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 19.3% | – | 34.6% | ranked 461 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 13.7% | – | 15.3% | ranked 348 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 77.6% | – | 79.9% | ranked 380 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 14,371 | 912,062 | 5,783,434 | ranked 91 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 4.27 ‰ inh. | 4.60 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 300 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 79.2% | – | 76.7% | ranked 230 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 3,161 | 202,193 | 1,170,010 | ranked 90 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 108.4 ‰ inh. | 104.7 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 228 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 25,325 € | 24,329 € | 24,247 € | ranked 214 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 30,956 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 268 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 316,500 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 246 of 554 | |
| Median selling price of apartments (2025) | 255,000 € | – | 249,900 € | ranked 136 of 299 |
Transport
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 1.10 | 1.06 | 1.25 | ranked 468 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 23.1% | 26.8% | 17.6% | ranked 116 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Herentals | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 8.0% | 13.7% | 6.4% | ranked 205 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 6.0% | 9.8% | 7.0% | ranked 358 of 551 |
Population of Herentals over time
Herentals had 27,728 residents in 2016 and 29,163 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 28,194 |
| 2022 | 28,455 |
| 2023 | 28,575 |
| 2024 | 28,865 |
| 2025 | 29,001 |
| 2026 | 29,163 |
Where is Herentals?
Business sectors: Herentals
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical20.1% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade16.5% ×1.1
- Construction13.5% ×1.0
- Manufacturing6.5% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services6.3% ×1.0
- Other service activities6.2% ×0.9
- Information and communication5.6% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services5.4% ×1.0
Sunshine and temperatures: Herentals
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Herentals?
Herentals has 29,163 residents (2026), ranking 96 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Herentals?
Herentals covers 48.0 km², with a density of 608 people per km².
Is the population of Herentals growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Herentals went from 27,728 to 29,163, a change of +5.2%.
Where is Herentals?
Herentals is in Antwerp. It belongs to Turnhout (arrondissement). Latitude 51.177, longitude 4.836.
Share of inhabitants under 20: what is the figure for Herentals?
In Herentals, “Share of inhabitants under 20” stands at 18.4% (2026), ranking 537 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 21.5%.
Number of dwellings: what is the figure for Herentals?
In Herentals, “Number of dwellings” stands at 14,371 (2024), ranking 91 of 565 municipalities; the national median is 6,052.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Herentals?
In Herentals, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,041 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Herentals?
The nearest to Herentals are Olen (4.0 km), Vorselaar (5.3 km), Lille (6.9 km), Grobbendonk (7.0 km), Herenthout (7.1 km).
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