Bednja: population and statistics
Bednja has a population of 3,254 (2025) across 6.0 km², or 542 people per km². It ranks 218 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −13.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,254 residents
- 6.0 km²
- 542 people/km²
Bednja in numbers
Key points
Among the 28 municipalities in Varaždin County, Bednja ranks No. 14 by population.
Share of employed residents in construction: 20.9% in Bednja, compared with an average of 10.3% in Varaždin County and 7.7% nationally.
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents: −6.5 ‰ in Bednja, compared with an average of 0.6 ‰ in Varaždin County and 4.9 ‰ nationally.
Population of Bednja over time
Bednja had 3,750 residents in 2015 and 3,254 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,460 |
| 2021 | 3,353 |
| 2022 | 3,258 |
| 2023 | 3,340 |
| 2024 | 3,338 |
| 2025 | 3,254 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Varaždin County for “Average age of residents”.
- Number 1 in Varaždin County for “Dwellings per 1,000 residents”.
- “Share of employed residents in construction”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 840 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.8 times the national average.
All indicators for Bednja
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 | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 45.7 years | 43.9 | 44.8 | ranked 199 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 22.1% | 20.8% | 22.9% | ranked 321 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 11.1% | 13.9% | 13.7% | ranked 479 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −14.4 ‰ | −6.0 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 482 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | −11.7 ‰ | 0.5 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 498 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | −6.5 ‰ | 0.6 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 527 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 2,579 | 81,323 | 2,390,500 | ranked 200 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 761 | 510 | 604 | ranked 172 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 18.0% | 14.0% | 7.9% | ranked 160 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 35.2% | 18.3% | 25.9% | ranked 108 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 103.3 m² | 106.7 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 228 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 2 | 394 | 16,654 | ranked 314 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 3.6 | 9.1 | 7.2 | ranked 416 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 92.6% | 98.4% | 99.0% | ranked 508 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 9.9% | 64.5% | 12.8% | ranked 303 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 10.8% | 30.5% | 31.3% | ranked 505 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 3.1% | 4.5% | 6.0% | ranked 408 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 31.6% | 32.4% | 19.5% | ranked 99 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 20.9% | 10.3% | 9.0% | ranked 11 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 7,302 € | 8,974 € | 7,821 € | ranked 368 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 10,619 € | 12,264 € | 11,010 € | ranked 335 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 5,422 € | 6,475 € | 6,391 € | ranked 449 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 507 | 507 | 456 | ranked 129 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 289 | 283 | 302 | ranked 337 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 3.5% | 3.2% | 4.6% | ranked 364 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 45.3% | 52.1% | 45.2% | ranked 267 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 409 | 54,226 | 1,262,193 | ranked 252 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 123 | 342 | 150 | ranked 331 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 71.0% | 52.1% | 55.5% | ranked 95 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 3.7% | 3.8% | 6.5% | ranked 486 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 2.85 | 3.04 | 2.75 | ranked 211 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Bednja | Varaždin County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 1 | 61 | 1,794 | ranked 189 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 61 | 6,538 | 158,685 | ranked 340 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 19 | 41 | 35 | ranked 438 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 3 | 71 | 1,925 | ranked 176 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 205 | 11,648 | 291,355 | ranked 252 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 63 | 74 | 72 | ranked 379 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 5.4 | 8.2 | 6.3 | ranked 337 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 98 | 5,169 | 139,372 | ranked 201 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 30 | 33 | 28 | ranked 204 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 9.8% | 18.2% | 13.0% | ranked 385 of 545 |
Bednja: 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
−14.4 ‰ in 2024, compared with −12.3 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
−11.7 ‰ in 2025, compared with −7.7 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
−6.5 ‰ in 2025, compared with −3.7 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
2 in 2024, compared with 6 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
7,302 € in 2025, compared with 4,368 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
10,619 € in 2025, compared with 7,551 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
5,422 € in 2025, compared with 3,519 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
409 in 2024, compared with 410 in 2011
Where is Bednja?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Lepoglava5.3 km · 6,653
- Novi Golubovec5.6 km · 757
- Jesenje6.0 km · 1,305
- Klenovnik8.2 km · 1,736
- Radoboj8.3 km · 2,972
- Ivanec11 km · 12,974
- Lobor11 km · 2,594
- Mihovljan11 km · 1,548
All municipalities in Varaždin County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Bednja?
Bednja has 3,254 residents (2025), ranking 218 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Bednja?
Bednja covers 6.0 km², with a density of 542 people per km².
Is the population of Bednja growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Bednja went from 3,750 to 3,254, a change of −13.2%.
Where is Bednja?
Bednja is in Varaždin County. Latitude 46.230, longitude 15.980.
Share of employed residents in construction: what is the figure for Bednja?
In Bednja, “Share of employed residents in construction” stands at 20.9% (2021), ranking 11 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 9.0%.
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents: what is the figure for Bednja?
In Bednja, “Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents” stands at −6.5 ‰ (2025), ranking 527 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 3.7 ‰.
Which municipalities border Bednja?
The nearest to Bednja are Lepoglava (5.3 km), Novi Golubovec (5.6 km), Jesenje (6.0 km), Klenovnik (8.2 km), Radoboj (8.3 km).