Bielefeld Population 2026

Bielefeld has a population of 331,906, making it the #18 biggest city in 🇩🇪 Germany, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. Roughly 0.4% of Germany's population lives here. It is about 10× smaller than Berlin, the country's biggest city.

Location of Bielefeld (capital Berlin shown for reference). Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Population (city proper)

331,906

Rank in Germany

#18

Coordinates

52.03°N, 8.53°E

~111 m elevation · Europe/Berlin

Distance to capital (Berlin)

336 km

209 miles, straight line

Other big cities in North Rhine-Westphalia

City	Population	Rank in Germany
Köln	1,024,621	#4
Düsseldorf	618,685	#6
Essen	593,085	#8
Dortmund	588,462	#9
Duisburg	504,358	#15
Bochum	385,729	#16
Wuppertal	360,797	#17
Bonn	330,579	#19

Cities near Bielefeld

Gütersloh96,180 people · ~18 km away
Detmold73,680 people · ~26 km away
Paderborn142,161 people · ~38 km away
Minden82,879 people · ~39 km away
Osnabrück166,462 people · ~42 km away
Hamm178,967 people · ~63 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Bielefeld?

Bielefeld has a population of 331,906 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #18 biggest city in Germany.

What region is Bielefeld in?

Bielefeld is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Is Bielefeld the capital of Germany?

No, the capital of Germany is Berlin, about 336 km away.

Sources & notes

Population refers to the city proper (municipal boundaries), not the metropolitan area. Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 2026-07-07. Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

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