Living in Brussels

Brussels (locally: Bruxelles) had a population of 198,674 at the start of 2026. The city covered 33.1 km² in 2025. Population density was 6,004.7 people per km² in 2026. The median age was 34.8 years in 2021. The city had 79,017 dwellings in 2021. Gigabit broadband availability was 99.5% in June 2025. Brussels is the national capital of Belgium.

Last checked 2026-10-1025 sources

Population198,674people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source

Median rent919EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Real estate leases for immovable property, reference date 2024-12-31

Unemployment rate19.17%country median 5.3% — 259% aboveIndependent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011

Recorded crime24,104offences per 100,000country median 5,167 — 366% aboveIndependent source · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025

PM2.5, annual mean7.98µg/m³country median 7.4 — 8% aboveOfficial source · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31

Higher unemployment than 97% of Belgian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than any other Belgian city that publishes it and dirtier air than 64% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Brussels.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

A monthly estimate placed private kindergarten fees at €1,442.42 in July 2026. An inexpensive restaurant meal was estimated at €20 in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1442

Utilities, 85 m² flat€236

Transport pass€56

Internet, 60 Mbps€40

Fitness club€32

Mobile plan, 10 GB€8

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	31.85 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel²³Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	39.99 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Internet Light Fiber⁵Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,442 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel²³Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	20 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel²³Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	8 EUR/month	31 Oct 2026	Scarlet Red 10 GB¹⁴Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	56 EUR/month	26 Jul 2026	www.stib-mivb.be²¹Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	236.3 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel²³Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	79,017 dwellings	1 Jan 2021	Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units¹⁵Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	919 EUR/month	31 Dec 2024	Real estate leases for immovable property, reference date 2024-12-31¹³Official

Is Brussels 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 worker55%strong on work, weak on safety · range 47–63%

Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 52–68%

Student44%strong on education, weak on safety · range 37–51%

Family47%strong on family, weak on housing · range 39–55%

Retirement47%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 37–57%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 19.2% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Bruxelles?

The unemployment rate is about 19.2 % (January 2011).

Unemployment rate: 19.17 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011²⁴

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Brussels is 19.2%. Of 509 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

160

123

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–2222–2424–26

Brussels 19.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Gigabit broadband availability	99.46 %	Jun 2025	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.³Official
Public employment offices	12 count	15 Sept 2026	Actiris — Brussels contact points¹Official
Unemployment rate	19.17 %country median 5.3%	1 Jan 2011	Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011²⁴Independent

What does a salary buy in Brussels?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,237of €2,496 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.	€2,496
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Real estate leases for immovable property, reference date 2024-12-31 · 2024-12-31	− €919
Public transport pass€56 · official · stib-mivb.be · 2026-07-26	− €56
Utilities, 85 m²€236 · market price · Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel · 2026-07-31	− €236
Internet€40 · official · Internet Light Fiber · 2026-10-31	− €40
Mobile plan€8 · official · Scarlet Red 10 GB · 2026-10-31	− €8
Left over	€1,237

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Brussels Salary needed to live in Brussels

Public employment offices in Brussels

Actiris lists 12 public employment offices in Brussels (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

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

Open the Belgium service overview

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Family and education

The city had 177 schools in October 2025.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Schools	177 schools	31 Oct 2025	FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register⁴Official
Public language course providers	4 count	31 Dec 2026	Mandatory integration programme for newcomers in Brussels⁶Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 18. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: OKAN/OKATN (onthaalonderwijs, reception education for foreign-mother-tongue newcomers). How to enrol a child (belgium.be).

A country-wide rule for Belgium; Brussels's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Safety

How safe is Bruxelles?

Police recorded about 24,104 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: 24,104 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025²²

Recorded crime across major citiesBrussels highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Brussels24,104

Liège17,918

Ixelles14,236

Charleroi14,026

Leuven12,730

Ghent12,110

Anderlecht11,116

Schaerbeek10,141

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean10,075

Hasselt9,031

Namur8,912

Brugge8,780

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	24,104 offences per 100,000country median 5,167	31 Dec 2025	Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025²²Independent

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 3.8°C in January and 18.7°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 66.6 mm in January and 71.3 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 7.98 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Bruxelles?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 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: 7.98 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31¹²

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

6°1°

7°1°

11°3°

15°5°

19°9°

21°12°

24°14°

24°13°

20°10°

15°7°

10°4°

7°2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.58WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1015.1WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂16.2WHO 10 · EU 40

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 Brussels is 8.0 µg/m³. Of 442 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

142

2–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Brussels 8.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	16.17 µg/m³country median 9.0	31 Dec 2024	Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31¹⁰Official
PM10 — annual mean	15.14 µg/m³country median 13.1	31 Dec 2024	Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31¹¹Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	7.98 µg/m³country median 7.4	31 Dec 2024	Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31¹²Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 6.4 · Feb 7.2 · Mar 10.9 · Apr 15.1 · May 18.6 · Jun 21.5 · Jul 23.7 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 19.9 · Oct 15.1 · Nov 10.1 · Dec 6.7 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁵Independent
Average night-time low by month	Jan 1.2 · Feb 1 · Mar 2.7 · Apr 5 · May 8.7 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 13.7 · Aug 13.4 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 7.4 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 1.9 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁵Independent
Average temperature by month	Jan 3.8 · Feb 4.1 · Mar 6.8 · Apr 10 · May 13.6 · Jun 16.6 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁵Independent
Average precipitation by month	Jan 66.6 · Feb 57.3 · Mar 52.2 · Apr 42.5 · May 56.2 · Jun 66.6 · Jul 71.3 · Aug 78 · Sep 59.1 · Oct 62.1 · Nov 69.6 · Dec 81.4 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV²⁵Independent

Population and city profile

How many people live in Bruxelles?

The published population was 198,674 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport61.3%
Foreign residents38.7%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	33.09 km²	1 Jan 2025	Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.⁷Official
Foreign-resident share	38.74 %	1 Jan 2026	Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.⁸Official
Foreign residents	76,972 people	1 Jan 2026	Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.⁸Official
Population density	6,005 people/km²	1 Jan 2026	Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.⁹Official
Population	198,674 people	1 Jan 2026	Belgium official denominator source²Official

International community in Brussels

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; total sex derived from published M+F rows · 2021-01-01

Published group	People	Share
Born in Belgium	92,516	49.5%
Born in a non-EU country	59,407	31.8%
Born in another EU member state	34,882	18.7%

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

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published group	People	Share
Non-Belgian — total	69,557	37.2%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium	60,547	32.4%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total	50,044	26.8%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total	34,429	18.4%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium	32,891	17.6%

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

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	50.44 %	1 Jan 2021	Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace¹⁶Official
Median age	34.8 years	1 Jan 2021	Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age¹⁷Official

Alternatives for people set on Brussels

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Namur as a Brussels alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,912 Namur vs 24,104 Brussels−63%
Unemployment: 12.0% Namur vs 19.2% Brussels−37%
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ Namur vs 8.0 µg/m³ Brussels−26%
Residents: 115,457 Namur vs 198,674 Brussels−42%
Foreign residents: 11.6% (2024) Namur vs 38.7% (2026) Brusselsno percentage

Full comparison More about Namur

Lisbon as a Brussels alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,090 (2022) Lisbon vs 24,104 (2025) Brusselsno percentage
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €150 Lisbon vs €236 Brussels−36%
Foreign residents: 20.2% (2023) Lisbon vs 38.7% (2026) Brusselsno percentage
A meal out: €15 Lisbon vs €20 Brussels−25%

Full comparison More about Lisbon

Alternative cities in Belgium

Other cities in Belgium to compare with Brussels, nearest in population first.

All Belgium cities

Liège198,102 residents Charleroi206,900 residents Ghent272,657 residents Anderlecht129,600 residents Schaerbeek129,278 residents Brugge120,283 residents

How does Brussels compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Brussels's.

Open the full comparison

Brussels in rankings

#4 of 30 in Largest cities in Belgium

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Brussels 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.

Which comparable places record less crime than Brussels?

23 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Brussels in this strictly source-matched cohort.

Brussels: 24,147.6 offences/100k (2025).

Sint-Genesius-Rode — 4,208.6 offences/100k2025 Kapellen — 4,346.6 offences/100k2025 Hove — 4,625.9 offences/100k2025 Zoutleeuw — 4,734.2 offences/100k2025 Hamme — 4,971.6 offences/100k2025 Herk-de-Stad — 5,028.2 offences/100k2025 Temse — 5,554.7 offences/100k2025 Oudenaarde — 6,960.2 offences/100k2025

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source²²

Put Brussels's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Bruxelles?

The published population was 198,674 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Bruxelles?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 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 Bruxelles?

Police recorded about 24,104 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 Bruxelles?

The unemployment rate is about 19.2 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Brussels?

76,972 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row..

How much is public transport in Brussels?

A monthly transport pass is 56 EUR/month. Source: www.stib-mivb.be.

Is Brussels a good place to live?

Brussels 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 Belgium live in Brussels?

The official country of birth distribution records 92,516 people (49.5%) 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.

Which comparable places record less crime than Brussels?

23 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Brussels in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Police fédérale SPC municipal PDF 2025 + Statbel TF_SOC_POP_STRUCT_2025, period 2025, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

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, October 16). Brussels, Belgium: population, rent, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 7d293c5e4b6106cae460d08a29db0847]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/brussels-city/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_brussels-belgium-population-rent-cost-of-living-jobs_5fe1f84af9dd,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Brussels, Belgium: population, rent, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {7d293c5e4b6106cae460d08a29db0847},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/brussels-city/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Brussels, Belgium: population, rent, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/brussels-city/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 7d293c5e4b6106cae460d08a29db0847; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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

Actiris — Brussels contact points Actiris · actiris.brussels · checked 2026-09-15
Belgium official denominator source statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-14
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
FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register odwb.be · checked 2026-07-16
Internet Light Fiber proximus.be · checked 2026-10-08
Mandatory integration programme for newcomers in Brussels brussels.be · checked 2026-09-16
Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
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

Show 15 more sources

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
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
Real estate leases for immovable property, reference date 2024-12-31 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-10-07
Scarlet Red 10 GB scarlet.be · checked 2026-10-08
Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry or ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
Statbel, Belgian statistical office country of birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
www.stib-mivb.be stib-mivb.be · checked 2026-07-26
Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
Lebenshaltungskosten in Brüssel de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-26
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
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 station CSV ncei.noaa.gov · 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.