Population of Dortmund in 2025 was 603 462, making it the third largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the ninth largest city in Germany. It is also the largest city in the Ruhr urban area and is the most important urban center of the eastern Ruhr. Population of Dortmund was in decline until 2012, and has been rising ever since.
Population in boroughs of Dortmund
Dortmund is subdivided into 12 boroughs (Stadtbezirke) each having between 36 000 and 59 000 inhabitants. The most populous borough is Innenstadt Nord. The figures shown in the map below are as of 2021-12-31, and are according to estimates. Thus the combined population of all boroughs might be different than the official figure of the whole city of Dortmund.
Dortmund metropolitan area
Dortmund is part of the polycentric Ruhr urban area that has approximately 5.3 million inhabitants. Dortmund is also part of the larger Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region that has over 11 million inhabitants.