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Living in Gent

Gent is a city in Belgium, and the figures below are its published values. Residents of Gent numbered 272,657 at the end of 2025. At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 9 µg/m³.

Higher unemployment than 67% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 97% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Gent.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Gent. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Gent recurring monthly costs, € per month€500Private kindergarten€199Utilities, 85 m² flat€53Transport pass€42Internet, 60 Mbps€32Fitness club€19Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly31.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month88.79 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited41.88 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly500 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant20 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB18.69 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass52.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home198.7 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Gent?

The unemployment rate is about 7.6 % (2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 7.62 % · bestat.statbel.fgov.be1
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Gent is 7.6%. 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%706–8Gent 7.6%57 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%620–223 cities: 22% to under 24%322–241 city: 24% to under 26%124–26

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate7.62 %country median 5.3%31 Dec 2011bestat.statbel.fgov.be1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Gent. 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 Gent. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Gent's nearest airport was ANR, 54 km away and offered 1 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights7Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km54 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Nearest Major Airport IataANR3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official

Climate and air quality

Gent's monthly mean temperatures were 4°C in January and 18.7°C in July. Gent's monthly precipitation totalled 67.8 mm in January and 72.4 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Gent?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)2

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

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Gent average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND24°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Gent average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100685653445570728067687984JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Gent annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5µg/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 Gent is 9.0 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/m³546–783 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/m³129–10Gent 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024European Environment Agency (EEA)2Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.6 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 11.1 · Apr 15.2 · May 18.6 · Jun 21.4 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 7 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.4 · Feb 1.3 · Mar 3.1 · Apr 5.3 · May 9 · Jun 11.9 · Jul 13.9 · Aug 13.5 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.8 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 2.1 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 4 · Feb 4.4 · Mar 7.1 · Apr 10.2 · May 13.8 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 11.6 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 4.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 67.8 · Feb 55.5 · Mar 53.1 · Apr 43.5 · May 55.3 · Jun 69.9 · Jul 72.4 · Aug 79.8 · Sep 67 · Oct 67.7 · Nov 78.6 · Dec 83.9 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Charleroi206,900 residentsAntwerp562,002 residentsAnderlecht129,600 residentsSchaerbeek129,278 residentsBrugge120,283 residentsLeuven104,906 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Gent?

The published population was 272,657 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)10

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population272,657 people31 Dec 2025Statbel (Belgian statistical office)10Official

Is Gent 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 worker51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 40–62%
Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 43–63%
Student59%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 47–71%
Family50%strong on family, weak on safety · range 38–62%
Retirement57%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–71%
Population272,657 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Belgian statistical office)
Unemployment rate7.62 %31 Dec 2011Official source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · European Environment Agency (EEA)
Fitness club membership, monthly31.5 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited41.88 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Private kindergarten, monthly500 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Gent 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 Gent?

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

Gent: 12,136.9 offences/100k (2025).

Sint-Genesius-Rode — 4,208.6 offences/100k2025Kapellen — 4,346.6 offences/100k2025Hove — 4,625.9 offences/100k2025Zoutleeuw — 4,734.2 offences/100k2025Hamme — 4,971.6 offences/100k2025Herk-de-Stad — 5,028.2 offences/100k2025Temse — 5,554.7 offences/100k2025Oudenaarde — 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 source9

Common questions

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

How many people live in Gent?

The published population was 272,657 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).

Is the air quality good in Gent?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA).

What is the unemployment rate in Gent?

The unemployment rate is about 7.6 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.

How much is public transport in Gent?

A monthly transport pass is 52.5 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Gent a good place to live?

Gent 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.

Which comparable places record less crime than Gent?

21 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Gent 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, September 14). Gent, Belgium: cost of living, jobs, air quality, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/gent-vlg-vov/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gent-belgium-cost-of-living-jobs-air-quality-climate_6173afac99ce,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Gent, Belgium: cost of living, jobs, air quality, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  snapshot = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/gent-vlg-vov/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Gent, Belgium: cost of living, jobs, air quality, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/gent-vlg-vov/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

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. bestat.statbel.fgov.be bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-26
  2. European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
  3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
  10. Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
Show 2 more sources
  1. statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
  2. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

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.