Vrbovec: population and statistics
Vrbovec has a population of 13,241 (2025) across 10.4 km², or 1,273 people per km². It ranks 42 of 556 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −6.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 13,241 residents
- 10.4 km²
- 1,273 people/km²
Vrbovec in numbers
Key points
Among the 34 municipalities in Zagreb County, Vrbovec ranks No. 8 by population.
Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation: 71.9% in Vrbovec, compared with an average of 55.7% in Zagreb County and 41.3% nationally.
Population of Vrbovec over time
Vrbovec had 14,109 residents in 2015 and 13,241 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 13,017 |
| 2021 | 12,960 |
| 2022 | 13,110 |
| 2023 | 13,156 |
| 2024 | 13,223 |
| 2025 | 13,241 |
Did you know?
- “Primary schools”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings per 1,000 residents”: lower than in 91% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,457 football pitches.
- Its population density is 11.3 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Gradec, 4.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Bjelovar (35,631 residents), 32 km away.
All indicators for Vrbovec
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 | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average age of residents (2021) | 43.7 years | 43.4 | 44.8 | ranked 390 of 545 | |
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2021) | 22.0% | 21.3% | 22.9% | ranked 330 of 545 | |
| Share of children aged 0 to 14 (2021) | 14.7% | 14.9% | 13.7% | ranked 142 of 545 | |
| Natural change per 1,000 residents (2024) | −1.6 ‰ | −3.1 ‰ | −6.8 ‰ | ranked 64 of 546 | |
| Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents (2025) | 4.4 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 3.1 ‰ | ranked 251 of 546 | |
| Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents (2025) | 4.9 ‰ | 4.9 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | ranked 233 of 546 |
Housing
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dwellings (2021) | 5,602 | 144,764 | 2,390,500 | ranked 80 of 545 | |
| Dwellings per 1,000 residents (2021) | 432 | 481 | 604 | ranked 495 of 545 | |
| Share of holiday and seasonal dwellings (2021) | 2.0% | 9.6% | 7.9% | ranked 424 of 545 | |
| Share of unoccupied dwellings for permanent residence (2021) | 24.4% | 19.7% | 25.9% | ranked 311 of 545 | |
| Average floor area of an occupied dwelling (2021) | 116.2 m² | 110.9 m² | 100.4 m² | ranked 53 of 545 | |
| Dwellings completed in the year (2024) | 44 | 1,342 | 16,654 | ranked 72 of 546 | |
| Dwellings completed 2020-2024 per 1,000 residents (2024) | 10.2 | 13.3 | 7.2 | ranked 200 of 546 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings connected to a sewage disposal system (2021) | 99.0% | 99.2% | 99.0% | ranked 270 of 545 |
Energy
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation (2021) | 71.9% | 55.7% | 12.8% | ranked 37 of 545 | |
| Share of occupied dwellings with air conditioning (2021) | 37.4% | 43.0% | 31.3% | ranked 222 of 545 |
Economy
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021) | 4.5% | 2.7% | 6.0% | ranked 333 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in mining, manufacturing, energy and water supply (2021) | 26.5% | 19.7% | 19.5% | ranked 155 of 545 | |
| Share of employed residents in construction (2021) | 6.2% | 8.2% | 9.0% | ranked 444 of 545 | |
| Net income per resident (per year) (2025) | 8,446 € | 9,898 € | 7,821 € | ranked 193 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pay per employee (2025) | 12,276 € | 13,565 € | 11,010 € | ranked 108 of 546 | |
| Average annual net pension per pensioner (2025) | 6,295 € | 6,957 € | 6,391 € | ranked 296 of 546 | |
| Employees with pay per 1,000 residents (2025) | 490 | 527 | 456 | ranked 175 of 546 | |
| Pensioners per 1,000 residents (2025) | 270 | 259 | 302 | ranked 425 of 546 |
Employment
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.6% | ranked 281 of 545 | |
| Employed share of residents aged 15 and over (2021) | 49.4% | 52.2% | 45.2% | ranked 157 of 545 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities (2024) | 3,865 | 86,158 | 1,262,193 | ranked 49 of 546 | |
| Persons in paid employment in legal entities per 1,000 residents (2024) | 292 | 279 | 150 | ranked 87 of 546 | |
| Share of employed residents working outside their municipality (2021) | 44.4% | 61.4% | 55.5% | ranked 371 of 545 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of employed residents in accommodation and food service activities (2021) | 3.8% | 4.7% | 6.5% | ranked 477 of 545 |
Society
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average household size in occupied dwellings (2021) | 3.12 | 3.00 | 2.75 | ranked 89 of 545 |
Education
| Indicator | Vrbovec | Zagreb County | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergartens and preschool institutions (2025/2026) | 3 | 123 | 1,794 | ranked 79 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens (2025/2026) | 546 | 13,110 | 158,685 | ranked 42 of 546 | |
| Children in kindergartens per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 41 | 42 | 35 | ranked 159 of 546 | |
| Primary schools (2025/2026) | 9 | 118 | 1,925 | ranked 27 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils (2025/2026) | 1,006 | 24,065 | 291,355 | ranked 45 of 546 | |
| Primary school pupils per 1,000 residents (2025/2026) | 76 | 77 | 72 | ranked 203 of 546 | |
| Pupils per teacher in primary schools (2025/2026) | 8.1 | 9.5 | 6.3 | ranked 131 of 534 | |
| Students by place of residence (2025/2026) | 415 | 11,352 | 139,372 | ranked 48 of 546 | |
| Students per 1,000 residents (by place of residence) (2025/2026) | 31 | 36 | 28 | ranked 183 of 546 | |
| Share of residents aged 15 and over with higher education (2021) | 15.8% | 20.0% | 13.0% | ranked 200 of 545 |
Vrbovec: 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
−1.6 ‰ in 2024, compared with −3.1 ‰ in 2022
Net migration (arrivals minus departures) per 1,000 residents
4.4 ‰ in 2025, compared with −7.2 ‰ in 2015
Net migration with abroad per 1,000 residents
4.9 ‰ in 2025, compared with −10.8 ‰ in 2015
Dwellings completed in the year
44 in 2024, compared with 25 in 2011
Net income per resident (per year)
8,446 € in 2025, compared with 5,385 € in 2022
Average annual net pay per employee
12,276 € in 2025, compared with 8,276 € in 2022
Average annual net pension per pensioner
6,295 € in 2025, compared with 4,135 € in 2022
Persons in paid employment in legal entities
3,865 in 2024, compared with 3,293 in 2011
Where is Vrbovec?
Neighbouring municipalities
- Gradec4.9 km · 3,123
- Dubrava9.5 km · 4,449
- Rakovec10 km · 1,087
- Preseka10 km · 1,028
- Brckovljani12 km · 6,092
- Sveti Ivan Žabno16 km · 4,224
- Kloštar Ivanić16 km · 5,494
- Sveti Ivan Zelina17 km · 15,292
All municipalities in Zagreb County
Municipalities of similar size
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Vrbovec?
Vrbovec has 13,241 residents (2025), ranking 42 of 556 municipalities.
How big is Vrbovec?
Vrbovec covers 10.4 km², with a density of 1,273 people per km².
Is the population of Vrbovec growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Vrbovec went from 14,109 to 13,241, a change of −6.2%.
Where is Vrbovec?
Vrbovec is in Zagreb County. Latitude 45.883, longitude 16.433.
Primary schools: what is the figure for Vrbovec?
In Vrbovec, “Primary schools” stands at 9 (2025/2026), ranking 27 of 546 municipalities; the national median is 2.
Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation: what is the figure for Vrbovec?
In Vrbovec, “Share of occupied dwellings with a gas installation” stands at 71.9% (2021), ranking 37 of 545 municipalities; the national median is 12.8%.
Which municipalities border Vrbovec?
The nearest to Vrbovec are Gradec (4.9 km), Dubrava (9.5 km), Rakovec (10 km), Preseka (10 km), Brckovljani (12 km).