Essen Population 2026

Essen has a population of 593,085, making it the #8 biggest city in 🇩🇪 Germany, located in North Rhine-Westphalia. Roughly 0.7% of Germany's population lives here. It is about 5.8× smaller than Berlin, the country's biggest city.

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

Population (city proper)

593,085

Rank in Germany

Coordinates

51.46°N, 7.01°E

~83 m elevation · Europe/Berlin

Distance to capital (Berlin)

454 km

282 miles, straight line

Other big cities in North Rhine-Westphalia

City	Population	Rank in Germany
Köln	1,024,621	#4
Düsseldorf	618,685	#6
Dortmund	588,462	#9
Duisburg	504,358	#15
Bochum	385,729	#16
Wuppertal	360,797	#17
Bielefeld	331,906	#18
Bonn	330,579	#19

Cities near Essen

Gelsenkirchen270,028 people · ~8 km away
Bottrop119,909 people · ~9 km away
Bochum385,729 people · ~14 km away
Duisburg504,358 people · ~17 km away
Herne172,108 people · ~17 km away
Recklinghausen122,438 people · ~22 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Essen?

Essen has a population of 593,085 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #8 biggest city in Germany.

What region is Essen in?

Essen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Is Essen the capital of Germany?

No, the capital of Germany is Berlin, about 454 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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