Quick facts
Essen overview
Essen (orange) and the other large cities of Germany
Essen lies in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany at 51.46°N, 7.01°E, about 83 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Berlin (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a local seat.
It is smaller than Stuttgart (612,663) and larger than Dortmund (588,462). The largest city in Germany is Berlin with 3,426,354 people; the capital, Berlin, has 3,426,354.
The national capital, Berlin, is about 454 km away; the nearest large city is Gelsenkirchen, 8 km from Essen.
Germany as a whole has a live population of 83,587,871 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #19 of 238 countries — see the Germany population page for the full statistics and the Germany atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Essen
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Gelsenkirchen North Rhine-Westphalia | 8 km | 270,028 |
| Bottrop North Rhine-Westphalia | 9 km | 119,909 |
| Mülheim North Rhine-Westphalia | 10 km | 173,050 |
| Oberhausen North Rhine-Westphalia | 11 km | 219,176 |
| Bochum North Rhine-Westphalia | 14 km | 385,729 |
| Duisburg North Rhine-Westphalia | 17 km | 504,358 |
| Herne North Rhine-Westphalia | 17 km | 172,108 |
| Recklinghausen North Rhine-Westphalia | 22 km | 122,438 |
Largest cities in Germany
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BerlinCapital | State of Berlin | 3,426,354 |
| 2 | Hamburg | Hamburg | 1,973,896 |
| 3 | Munich | Bavaria | 1,505,005 |
| 4 | Köln | North Rhine-Westphalia | 1,024,621 |
| 5 | Frankfurt am Main | Hesse | 650,000 |
| 6 | Düsseldorf | North Rhine-Westphalia | 618,685 |
| 7 | Stuttgart | Baden-Wurttemberg | 612,663 |
| 8 | Essen | North Rhine-Westphalia | 593,085 |
| 9 | Dortmund | North Rhine-Westphalia | 588,462 |
| 10 | Dresden | Saxony | 564,904 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Essen?
Essen has about 593,085 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Essen the capital of Germany?
No. The capital of Germany is Berlin (3,426,354 people), about 454 km away. Essen is the 8th largest city of the country and a local seat.
How big is Essen compared with the rest of Germany?
Its 593,085 residents are 0.7% of the 83,587,871 people living in Germany today. Berlin is larger with 3,426,354 people.
Where is Essen?
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, at latitude 51.46 and longitude 7.01, 83 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Gelsenkirchen (8 km), Bottrop (9 km), Mülheim (10 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Essen Population 2026 — Germany. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/germany/essen/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/germany/essen/">Essen Population 2026 — Germany</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.