Esbjerg: population and statistics
Esbjerg has a population of 114,947 (2026) across 795.6 km², or 144 people per km². It ranks 6 of 98 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −0.7% between 2016 and 2026.
- 114,947 residents
- 795.6 km²
- 144 people/km²
- 20 m
Esbjerg in numbers
Population of Esbjerg over time
Esbjerg had 115,748 residents in 2016 and 114,947 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 115,579 |
| 2022 | 115,459 |
| 2023 | 115,758 |
| 2024 | 115,423 |
| 2025 | 115,157 |
| 2026 | 114,947 |
All indicators for Esbjerg
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 | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share aged 65 and over (2026) | 23.2% | 23.3% | 23.6% | ranked 53 of 98 | |
| Share under 18 (2026) | 19.0% | 18.8% | 19.2% | ranked 53 of 98 | |
| Average age (2026) | 43.7 years | 44.0 | 44.3 | ranked 58 of 98 |
Housing
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of occupied dwellings (2026) | 56,983 | 602,013 | 2,872,738 | ranked 5 of 98 | |
| Dwellings built before 1950 (2026) | 26.5% | 31.3% | 28.9% | ranked 60 of 98 | |
| Dwellings built in 2000 or later (2026) | 12.7% | 16.4% | 16.8% | ranked 74 of 98 | |
| Dwellings in houses (detached and terraced houses) (2026) | 63.6% | 69.9% | 73.2% | ranked 69 of 98 | |
| Dwellings in blocks of flats (2026) | 34.6% | 27.7% | 23.6% | ranked 30 of 98 | |
| Dwellings occupied by the owner (2026) | 48.7% | 51.4% | 57.6% | ranked 80 of 98 | |
| Newly built dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.53 ‰ | 3.60 ‰ | 3.13 ‰ | ranked 81 of 98 |
Energy
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with district heating (2026) | 77.8% | 62.1% | 48.7% | ranked 9 of 98 | |
| Residential buildings with natural gas boiler (2026) | 5.2% | 11.3% | 13.4% | ranked 70 of 98 | |
| Residential buildings with oil-fired boiler or oil stove (2026) | 3.5% | 5.3% | 6.2% | ranked 71 of 98 | |
| Residential buildings with heat pump (2026) | 7.7% | 11.2% | 13.6% | ranked 86 of 98 | |
| Residential buildings with electric heating (2026) | 2.7% | 4.0% | 4.9% | ranked 79 of 98 | |
| Residential buildings with solid fuel (wood, coal) (2026) | 2.8% | 5.6% | 6.2% | ranked 65 of 98 |
Economy
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of enterprises (2024) | 7,196 | 80,137 | 414,663 | ranked 8 of 98 | |
| Enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 62.3 ‰ | 64.7 ‰ | 69.0 ‰ | ranked 74 of 98 | |
| Average disposable income per person (2024) | 274,660 DKK | 269,119 DKK | 272,448 DKK | ranked 46 of 98 |
Employment
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate (aged 16–64) (2024) | 78.3% | 76.6% | 78.0% | ranked 44 of 98 | |
| Unemployment (full-time unemployed as a percentage of the labour force) (2025) | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.5% | ranked 50 of 98 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer houses per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.6 ‰ | 29.2 ‰ | 25.1 ‰ | ranked 74 of 98 |
Transport
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 494.7 ‰ | 518.0 ‰ | 533.2 ‰ | ranked 67 of 98 | |
| Electric cars (share of passenger cars) (2026) | 15.1% | 15.3% | 15.6% | ranked 55 of 98 |
Education
| Indicator | Esbjerg | Southern Denmark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a higher education (aged 15–69) (2025) | 32.7% | 32.7% | 31.6% | ranked 44 of 98 |
Key points
Among the 22 municipalities in Southern Denmark, Esbjerg ranks No. 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Finance and insurance, with 25.6% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 42° generates about 1,027 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Number of occupied dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Number of enterprises”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Residential buildings with district heating”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 111,429 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Fanø, 5.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Odense (213,168 residents), 123 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,108 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Business sectors: Esbjerg
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Finance and insurance25.6% ×1.2
- Real estate11.0% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade10.0% ×1.1
- Construction7.9% ×0.9
- Professional, scientific and technical7.7% ×0.7
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing5.9% ×1.0
- Health and social work5.2% ×0.9
- Other service activities4.9% ×1.1
Where is Esbjerg?
Sunshine and temperatures: Esbjerg
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Esbjerg?
Esbjerg has 114,947 residents (2026), ranking 6 of 98 municipalities.
How big is Esbjerg?
Esbjerg covers 795.6 km², with a density of 144 people per km².
Is the population of Esbjerg growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Esbjerg went from 115,748 to 114,947, a change of −0.7%.
Where is Esbjerg?
Esbjerg is in Southern Denmark. Latitude 55.467, longitude 8.450.
Number of occupied dwellings: what is the figure for Esbjerg?
In Esbjerg, “Number of occupied dwellings” stands at 56,983 (2026), ranking 5 of 98 municipalities; the national median is 20,537.
Number of enterprises: what is the figure for Esbjerg?
In Esbjerg, “Number of enterprises” stands at 7,196 (2024), ranking 8 of 98 municipalities; the national median is 3,031.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Esbjerg?
In Esbjerg, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 42° produces about 1,027 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Esbjerg?
The nearest to Esbjerg are Fanø (5.9 km), Varde (19 km), Billund (43 km), Vejen (44 km), Ringkøbing-Skjern (61 km).