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Living in Machelen

Machelen is a city in Belgium, and the figures below are its published values. At the end of 2025, Machelen had a population of 16,784. A foreign population count of 2,604 was recorded at the end of 2025. Annual PM2.5 was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

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

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 Machelen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Machelen?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 4.94 % · bestat.statbel.fgov.be1
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Machelen is 4.9%. 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%1234–6Machelen 4.9%70 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%620–223 cities: 22% to under 24%322–241 city: 24% to under 26%124–26

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate4.94 %country median 5.3%31 Dec 2011bestat.statbel.fgov.be1Official

Public employment service

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

Mobility and administration

Machelen's nearest airport was BRU, 3 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count146 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights8Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km3 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official
Nearest Major Airport IataBRU3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 3.8°C in January to 18.7°C in July. Machelen's monthly precipitation totalled 66.6 mm in January and 71.3 mm in July. Average monthly sunshine totalled 59.1 hours in January and 203.2 hours in July.

Is the air quality good in Machelen?

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
Machelen 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
Machelen average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100675752435667717859627081JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Machelen average monthly sunshine, hours05511016522059731261711981992031921551136649JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Machelen 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 Machelen 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/m³129–10Machelen 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 6.4 · 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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 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 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 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 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 59.1 · Feb 72.9 · Mar 125.8 · Apr 171.3 · May 198.3 · Jun 199.3 · Jul 203.2 · Aug 192.4 · Sep 154.5 · Oct 112.6 · Nov 65.8 · Dec 48.6 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Peer16,788 residentsTernat16,742 residentsLeopoldsburg16,858 residentsRiemst16,890 residentsDour16,611 residentsEghezée16,970 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Machelen?

The published population was 16,784 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)11

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Machelen residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport84.5%Foreign residents15.5%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share15.51 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)12Official
Foreign residents2,604 people31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)12Official
Population16,784 people31 Dec 2025Statbel (Belgian statistical office)11Official

Is Machelen 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 worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 43–65%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–68%
Student57%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 45–69%
Family54%strong on family, weak on safety · range 42–66%
Retirement55%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 41–69%
Foreign residents2,604 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Statistics Belgium)
Population16,784 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Belgian statistical office)
Unemployment rate4.94 %31 Dec 2011Official source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · European Environment Agency (EEA)
Foreign-resident share15.51 %31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Statistics Belgium)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Machelen 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 Machelen?

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

Machelen: 8,734.5 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 source10

Common questions

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

How many people live in Machelen?

The published population was 16,784 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).

Is the air quality good in Machelen?

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 Machelen?

The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.

How many foreign residents live in Machelen?

2,604 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium).

Is Machelen a good place to live?

Machelen 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 Machelen?

17 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Machelen 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 12). Machelen, Belgium: jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/machelen/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_machelen-belgium-jobs-air-quality_a9d651704ec4,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Machelen, Belgium: jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/machelen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Machelen, Belgium: jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/machelen/) — 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. 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. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  8. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  9. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  10. police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
Show 3 more sources
  1. Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
  2. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  3. statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28

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.