Turnhout: population and statistics
Turnhout has a population of 48,490 (2026) across 56.7 km², or 855 people per km². It ranks 36 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +12.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 48,490 residents
- 56.7 km²
- 855 people/km²
- 23 m
Key points
Among the 67 municipalities in Antwerp, Turnhout ranks No. 3 by population.
Cars per household: 0.93 in Turnhout, compared with an average of 1.06 in Antwerp and 1.07 nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 19.5% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,035 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Number of dwellings”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Cars per household”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,943 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.2 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Vosselaar, 3.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Antwerp (565,615 residents), 39 km away.
Turnhout in numbers
All indicators for Turnhout
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 | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 20.4% | 21.0% | 21.7% | ranked 385 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 22.9% | 22.1% | 21.5% | ranked 125 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 29.0% | – | 34.6% | ranked 327 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 12.4% | – | 15.3% | ranked 391 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 76.8% | – | 79.9% | ranked 411 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 23,332 | 912,062 | 5,783,434 | ranked 37 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 5.37 ‰ inh. | 4.60 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 192 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 72.1% | – | 76.7% | ranked 377 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 3,751 | 202,193 | 1,170,010 | ranked 60 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 77.4 ‰ inh. | 104.7 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 467 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 21,621 € | 24,329 € | 24,247 € | ranked 456 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 28,239 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 458 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 299,333 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 298 of 554 | |
| Median selling price of apartments (2025) | 227,000 € | – | 249,900 € | ranked 200 of 299 |
Transport
| Indicator | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 0.93 | 1.06 | 1.25 | ranked 530 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 29.7% | 26.8% | 17.6% | ranked 45 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Turnhout | Antwerp | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 23.2% | 13.7% | 6.4% | ranked 37 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 10.9% | 9.8% | 7.0% | ranked 101 of 551 |
Population of Turnhout over time
Turnhout had 42,965 residents in 2016 and 48,490 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 45,874 |
| 2022 | 46,372 |
| 2023 | 46,923 |
| 2024 | 47,305 |
| 2025 | 47,965 |
| 2026 | 48,490 |
Where is Turnhout?
Business sectors: Turnhout
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical19.5% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade16.8% ×1.1
- Construction13.2% ×1.0
- Other service activities6.8% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services6.7% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services6.0% ×0.9
- Manufacturing5.4% ×1.1
- Information and communication5.2% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Turnhout
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Turnhout?
Turnhout has 48,490 residents (2026), ranking 36 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Turnhout?
Turnhout covers 56.7 km², with a density of 855 people per km².
Is the population of Turnhout growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Turnhout went from 42,965 to 48,490, a change of +12.9%.
Where is Turnhout?
Turnhout is in Antwerp. It belongs to Turnhout (arrondissement). Latitude 51.317, longitude 4.933.
Number of dwellings: what is the figure for Turnhout?
In Turnhout, “Number of dwellings” stands at 23,332 (2024), ranking 37 of 565 municipalities; the national median is 6,052.
Cars per household: what is the figure for Turnhout?
In Turnhout, “Cars per household” stands at 0.93 (2025), ranking 530 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 1.25.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Turnhout?
In Turnhout, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,035 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Turnhout?
The nearest to Turnhout are Vosselaar (3.3 km), Oud-Turnhout (3.4 km), Beerse (5.4 km), Merksplas (6.7 km), Ravels (7.3 km).
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