Essen
Essen had 19,671 residents at the start of 2026 and is a city in Belgium. The unemployment rate was 3.88% at the start of 2011. At the start of 2026, the foreign population was 4,354. Gigabit broadband availability was 88% in June 2025.
Lower unemployment than 73% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 79% of Belgian cities that publish it.
Who Essen may suit
Relative profile scores use comparable published values. They are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Population and city profile
The city covered 47.6 km² in 2025. Population density was 413.5 people per km² in 2026.
Derived from the published population and foreign-resident counts.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 47.5699 km2 | 2026-07-15Aging | Official sourceOfficial cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. Source-backed value |
| Foreign residents | 4,354 people | 2026-07-15Fresh | Official sourceOfficial population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. Source-backed value |
| Population density | 413.5175 people/km² | 2026-07-15Fresh | Official sourceOfficial resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. Source-backed value |
| Population | 19,671 people | 2026-07-14Fresh | Official sourceBelgium official denominator source Source-backed value |
Work and income
Published unemployment rates for cities in the same country.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 87.9965 % | 2026-07-15Aging | Official sourceBIPT/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. Source-backed value |
| Unemployment rate | 3.88 %country median 5.8% — 33% below | 2026-07-262011 | Independent sourceStatbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011 Source-backed value |
Safety
Published values for cities using the same metric and unit.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 5,841.1 offences/100kcountry median 5,423 — 8% above | 2026-07-26Aging | Independent sourceBelgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Source-backed value |
Climate and air quality
Annual PM2.5 was 8.51 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 12.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual PM10 was 15.3 µg/m³ in 2024.
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Published annual means from the same national measurement network.
| Metric | Value | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 12.2128 µg/m³country median 9.2 — 32% above | 2026-07-152024 | Official sourceOfficial RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 11055; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 Source-backed value |
| PM10 — annual mean | 15.3008 µg/m³country median 13.8 — 11% above | 2026-07-152024 | Official sourceOfficial RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 13019; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 Source-backed value |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8.5142 µg/m³country median 7.6 — 12% above | 2026-07-152024 | Official sourceOfficial RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31 Source-backed value |
Annual PM2.5 fell 46.8% between 2014 and 2024, from 16.0 to 8.5.
Each point keeps the source and period it was published with.
Worked out from these numbers
Arithmetic on the published values above. Each one names what it assumed.
How international is the population?
22.1% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 4,354 people of 19,671 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Essen?
The unemployment rate is 3.88 %. Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011, checked 2026-07-26.
Is the air quality good in Essen?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.5142 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-31, checked 2026-07-15.
How safe is Essen?
Police recorded 5,841.1 offences/100k. 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, checked 2026-07-26.
How many people live in Essen?
The published population is 19,671 people. Source: Belgium official denominator source, checked 2026-07-14.
How many foreign residents live in Essen?
4,354 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row., checked 2026-07-15.
Cities of a similar size in Belgium
Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.
Sources
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.