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Living in Boussu

The foreign population count was 2,542 at the start of 2026. The city covered 20.1 km² in 2025. Population density was 1,021.9 people per km² in 2026. Foreign-born residents accounted for 13.4% of the population at the start of 2021. Boussu is in Belgium; its population was 20,516 at the start of 2026.

Higher unemployment than any other Belgian city that publishes it and more recorded crime than 93% of Belgian cities that publish it.

Which Belgium-wide rules apply when you move to Boussu?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in BelgiumNational rates and thresholds that apply in Boussu.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Boussu yet. Belgium has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings8,748 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units15Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings8,734 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)13Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 20.9% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Boussu?

The unemployment rate is about 20.9 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 20.88 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201122
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Boussu is 20.9%. Of 506 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Belgium per band1 city: 0% to under 2%10–2160 cities: 2% to under 4%1602–4123 cities: 4% to under 6%1234–670 cities: 6% to under 8%706–857 cities: 8% to under 10%578–1026 cities: 10% to under 12%2610–1220 cities: 12% to under 14%2012–1416 cities: 14% to under 16%1614–1613 cities: 16% to under 18%1316–1810 cities: 18% to under 20%1018–206 cities: 20% to under 22%620–22Boussu 20.9%3 cities: 22% to under 24%322–241 city: 24% to under 26%124–26

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Gigabit broadband availability99.62 %Jun 2025BIPT/IBPT fixed broadband Atlas municipality row: H_rate_1000 is the share of households with access to fixed broadband at a maximum attainable speed of at least 1,000 Mbps; availability, not subscribed plan or measured speed. H_1000 is the covered-household count and total_households is the denominator.2Official
Unemployment rate20.88 %country median 5.3%1 Jan 2011Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201122Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Boussu. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Actiris — Public employment service

Actiris Brussels public employment service

Job Search
Search jobs

Le Forem — Public employment service

Le Forem Walloon public employment and training service

Job SearchRegistration
Register Search jobs
Open the Belgium service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Boussu. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Schools28 schools31 Oct 2025FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register3Official

Safety

How safe is Boussu?

Police recorded 8,798 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 8,798 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202521
Recorded crime across major citiesBoussu highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Boussu highlighted14,236Ixelles14,026Charleroi11,116Anderlecht10,154Seraing10,141Schaerbeek10,075Molenbeek-Saint-Jean9,031Hasselt8,798Boussu7,894Genk7,680Uccle6,914La Louvière6,684Woluwe-Saint-Lambertrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,798 offences per 100,000country median 5,13631 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202521Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport83 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights11Official
Nearest airportCRL3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official
Distance to nearest airport47 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 6.79 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 11.3 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Boussu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.79 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Boussu annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5256.8PM2.5154011.9PM10104011.3NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in BelgiumAnnual PM2.5 in Boussu is 6.8 µg/m³. Of 439 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Belgium per band1 city: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³12–317 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³173–473 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³734–557 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³575–654 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³546–7Boussu 6.883 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³837–8142 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1428–912 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean11.34 µg/m³country median 9.031 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-318Official
PM10 — annual mean11.89 µg/m³country median 13.231 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-319Official
PM2.5 — annual mean6.79 µg/m³country median 7.431 Dec 2024Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.38 · Feb 17.91 · Mar 20.78 · Apr 25.88 · May 28.61 · Jun 30.84 · Jul 36.62 · Aug 34.02 · Sep 31.32 · Oct 25.31 · Nov 19.35 · Dec 14.62 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -11.44 · Feb -12.83 · Mar -9.83 · Apr -4.59 · May 0.69 · Jun 3.35 · Jul 6.98 · Aug 5.96 · Sep 2.95 · Oct -4.53 · Nov -4.88 · Dec -10.33 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.51 · Feb 3.08 · Mar 5.88 · Apr 9.52 · May 13.1 · Jun 16.35 · Jul 18.19 · Aug 17.73 · Sep 14.69 · Oct 10.97 · Nov 6.58 · Dec 3.24 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center4Official
Annual PM2.5 over time11 published observations, 2014–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Boussu by year, µg/m³6.38.711.113.52014201620182020202220246.8µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 38.3% between 2014 and 2024, from 11.0 to 6.8.

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Belgium cities
Chaudfontaine20,525 residentsSchilde20,476 residentsMeise20,592 residentsLebbeke20,380 residentsBlankenberge20,741 residentsColfontaine20,761 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Boussu?

The published population was 20,516 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Boussu residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport87.6%Foreign residents12.4%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area20.08 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.5Official
Foreign-resident share12.42 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)14Official
Foreign residents2,542 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.6Official
Population density1,022 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.7Official
Population20,516 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source1Official

International community in Boussu

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

All persons in Statbel Census 2021 municipality rows; the published male and female category rows are summed to total sex · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total population19,842100.0%
Born in Belgium17,17486.6%
Born in another EU member state1,6968.5%
Born in a non-EU country9694.9%
Not indicated30.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20

Citizenship

All persons in Statbel Census 2021 municipality rows; the published male and female category rows are summed to total sex · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total population19,842100.0%
Belgian nationality17,43887.9%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state1,97910.0%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country4152.1%
Not indicated100.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source18

Ancestry or ethnicity

All persons in the Statbel 2021-01-01 municipal origin publication · 2021-01-01

Published groupPeopleShare
Total Belgian with foreign origin6,66133.6%
Total population19,842100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium17,17486.6%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total10,77754.3%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium10,61653.5%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium5,70228.7%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total2,74213.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total2,73213.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium2,69813.6%
Total population — born outside Belgium2,66813.4%
Non-Belgian — total2,40412.1%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium1,8329.2%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium1,5487.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total1,1876.0%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium1,1725.9%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium9594.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium9104.6%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium8564.3%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium1610.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium340.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium150.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19

Is Boussu a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker57%strong on work, weak on housing · range 47–67%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on housing · range 49–67%
Student64%strong on education, weak on housing · range 56–72%
Family47%strong on family, weak on housing · range 38–56%
Retirement54%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 43–65%
Foreign residents2,542 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.
Population20,516 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Dwellings8,748 dwellings1 Jan 2021Official source · Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units
Gigabit broadband availability99.62 %Jun 2025Official source · BIPT/IBPT fixed broadband Atlas municipality row: H_rate_1000 is the share of households with access to fixed broadband at a maximum attainable speed of at least 1,000 Mbps; availability, not subscribed plan or measured speed. H_1000 is the covered-household count and total_households is the denominator.
Unemployment rate20.88 %1 Jan 2011Independent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
NO₂ — annual mean11.34 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-07

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad13.43 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace16Official
Median age41.9 years1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age17Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Boussu when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Boussu?

The published population was 20,516 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Boussu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6.8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31.

How safe is Boussu?

Police recorded 8,798 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Boussu?

The unemployment rate is about 20.9 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Boussu?

2,542 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row..

Is Boussu a good place to live?

Boussu may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Born in another EU member state live in Boussu?

The official country of birth distribution records 1,696 people (8.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021-01-01. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Boussu, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/boussu/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_boussu-belgium-jobs-safety-air-quality_fdfcedf1d89e,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Boussu, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/boussu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Boussu, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/boussu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Belgium official denominator source statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-14
  2. BIPT/IBPT fixed broadband Atlas municipality row: H_rate_1000 is the share of households with access to fixed broadband at a maximum attainable speed of at least 1,000 Mbps; availability, not subscribed plan or measured speed. H_1000 is the covered-household count and total_households is the denominator. bipt-data.be · checked 2026-07-15
  3. FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register odwb.be · checked 2026-07-16
  4. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  6. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  7. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  8. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
  9. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
  10. Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 ftp.irceline.be · checked 2024-12-31
Show 12 more sources
  1. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  2. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
  4. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  7. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  8. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  9. Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry_or_ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  10. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country_of_birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  11. Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
  12. Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011 Statbel be.STAT · bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.