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Essen is a major city in western Germany, located in the Ruhr metropolitan region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has a population of approximately 586,608 inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the Ruhr area. Originally a medieval settlement, Essen developed rapidly during the 19th and early 20th centuries as a center of coal mining and steel production, closely associated with the Krupp industrial dynasty, which played a key role in Germany’s industrialization.
Following the decline of heavy industry in the late 20th century, Essen underwent significant economic and urban transformation, shifting toward services, culture, and education. The city is home to the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important monuments of industrial heritage in Europe. Other notable landmarks include Essen Cathedral and Villa Hügel, the former residence of the Krupp family.
Essen has also gained international recognition for its environmental efforts and was named European Green Capital in 2017. Notable people born in Essen include industrialist Alfried Krupp and footballer Helmut Rahn.
Essen in Germany
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Essen Population Evolution
Essen’s population grew rapidly in tandem with its rise as a coal and steel powerhouse in the Ruhr region. For much of its early history the settlement was small, but from the mid-19th century industrialization driven by coal mining and the Krupp steel works attracted workers from across Germany and beyond, leading to sustained demographic growth. Essen reached a population of around 100,000 by the late 1890s and continued expanding through the first half of the 20th century as heavy industry dominated the local economy. The city became one of Germany’s largest urban centres, peaking at over 730,000 inhabitants in 1962 when coal and steel employment was still strong. Beginning in the late 20th century, the decline of coal mining and steel production in the Ruhr area led to structural economic change, and Essen’s population gradually decreased before stabilizing around its current level.
Since year 2000, the Essen population has been globally stable, with a drop of 1% during this period.
The population of Essen in 2026 is estimated to 592,690 inhabitants. This estimate is taken from our extrapolation of available data and not an official estimate.
Population Summary
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 4,721 | |
| 1925 | 470,524 | +9,866.6% |
| 1970 | 696,733 | +48.1% |
| 2013 | 569,884 | -18.2% |
| 2023 | 586,608 | +2.9% |
Interactive Map of Essen
What to see in Essen
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
Museum Folkwang
Villa Hügel
Old Synagogue
Werden Abbey
Aalto Theatre
Essen Abbey
Famous People Born in Essen
Heinz Rühmann
screenwriterAlfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
entrepreneurGerman industrialist
Helmut Rahn
association football playerSister Cities of Essen
Sister cities, also known as twin cities, are formal partnerships between cities in different countries to promote cultural and commercial ties.
This list is based on publicly available structured data and may differ slightly from official municipal publications.
| City | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Changzhou | 🇨🇳 People's Republic of China | 4,592,431 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1,198,245 |
| Tel Aviv | 🇮🇱 Israel | 467,875 |
| Sunderland | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 277,417 |
| Tampere | 🇫🇮 Finland | 255,333 |
| Zabrze | 🇵🇱 Poland | 156,935 |
| Grenoble | 🇫🇷 France | 156,140 |