Olhão: population and statistics
Olhão has a population of 48,826 (2025) across 130.9 km², or 373 people per km². It ranks 67 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.8% between 2021 and 2025.
- 48,826 residents
- 130.9 km²
- 373 people/km²
- 11 m
Key points
Among the 16 municipalities in Faro, Olhão ranks No. 5 by population.
Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings: 50.9% in Olhão, compared with an average of 49.6% in Faro and 46.6% nationally.
Population under 15: 13.6% in Olhão, compared with an average of 12.6% in Faro and 12.4% nationally.
Largest business sector: Administrative and support services, with 16.7% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 33° generates about 1,720 kWh a year here.
Olhão in numbers
Where is Olhão?
Population of Olhão over time
Olhão had 45,727 residents in 2021 and 48,826 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 45,727 |
| 2022 | 47,194 |
| 2023 | 47,881 |
| 2024 | 48,547 |
| 2025 | 48,826 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Faro for “Population under 15”.
- “Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings”: higher than in 91% of municipalities.
- “Population under 15”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- “Usual residences without heating”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 18,328 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.0 times the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Faro (80,256 residents), 8.6 km away.
All indicators for Olhão
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 | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population aged 65 and over (2025) | 22.8% | 22.5% | 26.9% | ranked 230 of 307 | |
| Population under 15 (2025) | 13.6% | 12.6% | 11.7% | ranked 28 of 307 | |
| Ageing index (older people per 100 young people) (2025) | 167.1 | – | 229.9 | ranked 264 of 307 | |
| Population density (inhabitants per km²) (2025) | 373.1 inh./km² | – | 69.6 inh./km² | ranked 49 of 307 | |
| Population change between 2021 and 2025 (2025) | 6.78% | – | 4.50% | ranked 95 of 307 |
Housing
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings (2021) | 15,572 | 201,078 | 3,573,416 | ranked 75 of 308 | |
| Buildings built before 1946 (2021) | 18.8% | 11.9% | 12.8% | ranked 68 of 307 | |
| Buildings built since 2001 (2021) | 18.0% | 21.6% | 16.8% | ranked 120 of 307 | |
| Buildings in need of medium or extensive repair (2021) | 10.2% | 10.4% | 14.2% | ranked 246 of 307 | |
| Conventional family dwellings (2021) | 26,888 | 391,416 | 5,970,677 | ranked 63 of 308 | |
| Dwellings used as secondary residences (2021) | 20.9% | 36.8% | 25.8% | ranked 188 of 307 | |
| Vacant dwellings (2021) | 12.4% | 11.9% | 13.1% | ranked 176 of 307 | |
| Owner-occupied usual residences (2021) | 68.7% | 66.7% | 77.8% | ranked 264 of 307 | |
| Rented usual residences (2021) | 22.6% | 23.2% | 13.6% | ranked 41 of 307 | |
| Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings (2021) | 50.9% | 49.6% | 13.8% | ranked 30 of 307 | |
| Median selling price of housing per m² (2025) | 2,614 €/m² | – | 1,108 €/m² | ranked 28 of 305 |
Energy
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residences without heating (2021) | 44.0% | 38.1% | 18.6% | ranked 32 of 307 | |
| Usual residences with central heating (2021) | 4.0% | 5.1% | 12.6% | ranked 256 of 307 | |
| Electricity consumption per inhabitant (2024) | 2,765 kWh/inh. | 4,504 kWh/inh. | 3,690 kWh/inh. | ranked 274 of 307 |
Economy
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprises (2023) | 6,804 | 93,838 | 1,510,274 | ranked 55 of 308 | |
| Enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2023) | 142.1 | 166.4 | 128.1 | ranked 98 of 307 | |
| Declared gross income per inhabitant (2024) | 10,415 € | 10,657 € | 10,553 € | ranked 167 of 307 | |
| Purchasing power per capita (Portugal = 100) (2023) | 84.9 | 97.5 | 79.5 | ranked 108 of 307 |
Employment
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (2021) | 9.8% | 11.9% | 7.0% | ranked 40 of 307 | |
| Average monthly earnings of employees (2024) | 1,250 € | – | 1,258 € | ranked 164 of 307 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight stays in tourist accommodation (2025) | 272,339 | 20,782,405 | 82,011,658 | ranked 47 of 307 | |
| Overnight stays per 100 inhabitants (2025) | 559.4 | 3,596 | 275.0 | ranked 87 of 306 | |
| Share of overnight stays in local accommodation (alojamento local) (2025) | 25.1% | – | 18.4% | ranked 60 of 178 |
Education
| Indicator | Olhão | Faro | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population with completed higher education (2021) | 16.3% | 18.5% | 13.2% | ranked 84 of 307 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Olhão
Business sectors: Olhão
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Administrative and support services16.7% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services15.5% ×1.9
- Wholesale and retail trade13.8% ×1.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.8% ×1.4
- Construction9.2% ×1.3
- Professional, scientific and technical6.7% ×0.7
- Other service activities5.3% ×1.0
- Health and social work5.0% ×0.6
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Olhão?
Olhão has 48,826 residents (2025), ranking 67 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Olhão?
Olhão covers 130.9 km², with a density of 373 people per km².
Is the population of Olhão growing?
Between 2021 and 2025, the population of Olhão went from 45,727 to 48,826, a change of +6.8%.
Where is Olhão?
Olhão is in Faro. Latitude 37.028, longitude −7.839.
Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings: what is the figure for Olhão?
In Olhão, “Usual residences in buildings with 3 or more dwellings” stands at 50.9% (2021), ranking 30 of 307 municipalities; the national median is 13.8%.
Population under 15: what is the figure for Olhão?
In Olhão, “Population under 15” stands at 13.6% (2025), ranking 28 of 307 municipalities; the national median is 11.7%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Olhão?
In Olhão, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 33° produces about 1,720 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Olhão?
The nearest to Olhão are Faro (8.6 km), São Brás de Alportel (14 km), Tavira (20 km), Loulé (21 km), Albufeira (37 km).
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