Bjelovar: population and statistics
Bjelovar has a population of 35,631 (2025) across 187.9 km², or 190 people per km². It ranks 16 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −8.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 35,631 residents
- 187.9 km²
- 190 people/km²
Bjelovar in numbers
Key points
Among the 23 municipalities in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Bjelovar ranks No. 1 by population.
Population of Bjelovar over time
Bjelovar had 38,769 residents in 2015 and 35,631 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 36,598 |
| 2021 | 36,127 |
| 2022 | 35,813 |
| 2023 | 35,758 |
| 2024 | 35,682 |
| 2025 | 35,631 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Bjelovar-Bilogora County for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Bjelovar-Bilogora County for “Population change over 10 years”.
- “Primary schools”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Number of dwellings”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Persons in paid employment in legal entities”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 26,317 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Veliko Trojstvo, 8.0 km away.
All indicators for Bjelovar
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 | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 44.7 years | 44.7 | 44.8 | ranked 281 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 23.3% | 23.2% | 22.9% | ranked 246 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 14.4% | 14.4% | 13.7% | ranked 175 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −5.0 ‰ | −6.5 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 188 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 5.3 ‰ | −0.8 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 236 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 2.2 ‰ | 1.4 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 336 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 17,285 | 56,129 | 2,390,500 | ranked 17 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 476 | 550 | 604 | ranked 448 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 2.5% | 4.7% | 7.9% | ranked 404 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 21.4% | 27.2% | 25.9% | ranked 386 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 99.8 m² | 99.1 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 280 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 145 | 178 | 16,654 | ranked 19 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 21.1 | 10.4 | 7.2 | ranked 114 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.3% | 96.3% | 99.0% | ranked 228 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 74.9% | 52.0% | 12.8% | ranked 28 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 42.7% | 28.6% | 31.3% | ranked 198 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 5.0% | 12.7% | 6.0% | ranked 314 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 19.1% | 21.4% | 19.5% | ranked 281 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 6.6% | 8.2% | 9.0% | ranked 423 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,949 € | 7,772 € | 7,821 € | ranked 141 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 13,156 € | 11,761 € | 11,010 € | ranked 27 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 7,097 € | 6,311 € | 6,391 € | ranked 91 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 461 | 432 | 456 | ranked 263 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 299 | 317 | 302 | ranked 281 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 6.1% | 6.0% | 4.6% | ranked 197 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 47.5% | 45.0% | 45.2% | ranked 204 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 14,341 | 24,769 | 1,262,193 | ranked 15 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 402 | 253 | 150 | ranked 41 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 17.5% | 33.0% | 55.5% | ranked 518 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist nights in the year (2019) | 12,908 | – | 9,381 | ranked 196 of 422 | |
| Tourist nights per resident in the year (2019) | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.6 | ranked 281 of 422 | |
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 8.2% | 6.8% | 6.5% | ranked 201 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.71 | 2.72 | 2.75 | ranked 292 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Bjelovar | Bjelovar-Bilogora County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 13 | 40 | 1,794 | ranked 19 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 1,353 | 3,496 | 158,685 | ranked 19 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 38 | 36 | 35 | ranked 203 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 16 | 90 | 1,925 | ranked 9 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 2,674 | 7,506 | 291,355 | ranked 17 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 75 | 77 | 72 | ranked 218 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 9.2 | 7.4 | 6.3 | ranked 74 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 1,281 | 2,867 | 139,372 | ranked 17 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 36 | 30 | 28 | ranked 91 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 20.5% | 14.6% | 13.0% | ranked 101 of 545 |
Bjelovar: indicators over time
Indicators available for several years. Hover over or tap a chart to read the value for each year.
Natural change per 1,000 residents
−5.0 ‰ in 2024, compared with −5.6 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
5.3 ‰ in 2025, compared with −4.6 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
2.2 ‰ in 2025, compared with −3.3 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
145 in 2024, compared with 75 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,949 € in 2025, compared with 5,798 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
13,156 € in 2025, compared with 8,789 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
7,097 € in 2025, compared with 4,726 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
14,341 in 2024, compared with 12,022 in 2011
Tourist nights in the year
6,795 in 2021, compared with 6,723 in 2012
Where is Bjelovar?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Veliko Trojstvo8.0 km · 2,250
- Kapela9.9 km · 2,224
- Rovišće10 km · 3,910
- Severin11 km · 650
- Ivanska13 km · 2,035
- Šandrovac13 km · 1,360
- Nova Rača14 km · 2,514
- Štefanje15 km · 1,620
All municipalities in Bjelovar-Bilogora County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bjelovar?
Bjelovar has 35,631 residents (2025), ranking 16 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Bjelovar?
Bjelovar covers 187.9 km², with a density of 190 people per km².
Is the population of Bjelovar growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Bjelovar went from 38,769 to 35,631, a change of −8.1%.
Where is Bjelovar?
Bjelovar is in Bjelovar-Bilogora County. Latitude 45.899, longitude 16.842.
Primary schools: what is the figure for Bjelovar?
In Bjelovar, “Primary schools” stands at 16 (2025/2026), ranking 9 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 2.
Number of dwellings: what is the figure for Bjelovar?
In Bjelovar, “Number of dwellings” stands at 17,285 (2021), ranking 17 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 1,867.
Which municipalities border Bjelovar?
The nearest to Bjelovar are Veliko Trojstvo (8.0 km), Kapela (9.9 km), Rovišće (10 km), Severin (11 km), Ivanska (13 km).