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Living in Meerhout

The city covered 36.5 km² in 2025. Population density was 283.7 people per km² in 2026. Annual NO₂ was 9.96 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. For Meerhout, annual PM2.5 was 8.71 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The population of Meerhout, in Belgium, was 10,365 at the start of 2026.

Less recorded crime than 81% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 89% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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

Housing and cost

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings4,418 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units13Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings4,413 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)11Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 5.01% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Meerhout?

The unemployment rate is about 5 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 5.01 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201120
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Meerhout is 5.0%. 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%1234–6Meerhout 5.0%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
Gigabit broadband availability97.9 %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 rate5.01 %country median 5.3%1 Jan 2011Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201120Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Meerhout. 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

Le Forem — Public employment service

Le Forem Walloon public employment and training service

Job SearchRegistration

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

Safety

How safe is Meerhout?

Police recorded 3,917 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: 3,917 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202519
Recorded crime across major citiesMeerhout highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Meerhout highlighted14,236Ixelles14,026Charleroi11,116Anderlecht10,154Seraing10,141Schaerbeek10,075Molenbeek-Saint-Jean9,031Hasselt7,894Genk7,680Uccle6,914La Louvière6,684Woluwe-Saint-Lambert3,917Meerhoutrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,917 offences per 100,000country median 5,13631 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202519Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportOBL3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official
Distance to nearest airport27 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Meerhout?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.7 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: 8.71 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-319
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Meerhout annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.7PM2.5154015.2PM10104010.0NO₂µg/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 Meerhout is 8.7 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/m³1428–9Meerhout 8.712 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean9.96 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..2024-12-317Official
PM10 — annual mean15.22 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..2024-12-318Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.71 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..2024-12-319Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.13 · Feb 18.19 · Mar 21.41 · Apr 26.66 · May 29.55 · Jun 32.57 · Jul 39.34 · Aug 35.71 · Sep 33.7 · Oct 25.47 · Nov 19.78 · Dec 14.98 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -12.94 · Feb -15.11 · Mar -7.76 · Apr -4.56 · May 0.42 · Jun 4.05 · Jul 7.33 · Aug 6.46 · Sep 3.34 · Oct -4.47 · Nov -4.68 · Dec -12.13 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.27 · Feb 2.91 · Mar 5.81 · Apr 9.78 · May 13.55 · Jun 16.86 · Jul 18.73 · Aug 18.24 · Sep 14.97 · Oct 10.99 · Nov 6.52 · Dec 3.11 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Annual PM2.5 over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Meerhout by year, µg/m³8.310.312.414.4201520172019202120248.7µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 37.8% between 2015 and 2024, from 14.0 to 8.7.

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities

Population and city profile

How many people live in Meerhout?

The published population was 10,365 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Meerhout residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport94.2%Foreign residents 5.8%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area36.54 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.4Official
Foreign-resident share5.63 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)12Official
Foreign residents599 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.5Official
Population density283.7 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.6Official
Population10,365 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source1Official

International community in Meerhout

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 population10,279100.0%
Born in Belgium9,58993.3%
Born in a non-EU country3743.6%
Born in another EU member state3143.1%
Not indicated20.0%

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

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 population10,279100.0%
Belgian nationality9,78095.1%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state3193.1%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country1621.6%
Not indicated180.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source16

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Total — Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium9,08788.4%
Total — Total population10,279100.0%
Total — Total population — born in Belgium9,58993.3%
Belgique — Belgian of Belgian origin — total9,12588.8%
Belgique — Total population9,12588.8%
Total — Belgian of Belgian origin — total9,12588.8%
Belgique — Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium9,08788.4%
Belgique — Total population — born in Belgium9,08788.4%
Total — Total population — born outside Belgium6906.7%
Total — Total Belgian with foreign origin6556.4%
Hors UE27 — Total population5275.1%
Show 68 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Total — Non-Belgian — total4994.9%
Total — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium4334.2%
Total — Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium4304.2%
Pays voisin* — Total population3893.8%
Hors UE27 — Total Belgian with foreign origin3533.4%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total3233.1%
Hors UE27 — Total population — born outside Belgium3093.0%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total2542.5%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium2432.4%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total population2382.3%
Total — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium2222.2%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total2182.1%
Hors UE27 — Total population — born in Belgium2182.1%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium2092.0%
Pays voisin* — Total population — born outside Belgium2062.0%
Pays voisin* — Non-Belgian — total2022.0%
Hors UE27 — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium1931.9%
Pays voisin* — Total Belgian with foreign origin1871.8%
Pays voisin* — Total population — born in Belgium1831.8%
Pays voisin* — Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium1761.7%
Hors UE27 — Non-Belgian — total1741.7%
Hors UE27 — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium1601.6%
Pays voisin* — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium1571.5%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium1531.5%
Hors UE27 — Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium1491.4%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total population — born outside Belgium1371.3%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Non-Belgian — total1231.2%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total1211.2%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium1171.1%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total Belgian with foreign origin1151.1%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium1141.1%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium1051.0%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total population — born in Belgium1011.0%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium830.8%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total780.8%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium760.7%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total740.7%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium690.7%
Total — Non-Belgian — born in Belgium690.7%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium650.6%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total610.6%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium590.6%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total590.6%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium570.6%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total550.5%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total500.5%
Belgique — Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium380.4%
Belgique — Total population — born outside Belgium380.4%
Total — Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium380.4%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium320.3%
Pays voisin* — Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium300.3%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium300.3%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium290.3%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium260.3%
Pays voisin* — Non-Belgian — born in Belgium260.3%
Hors UE27 — Non-Belgian — born in Belgium250.2%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium200.2%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Non-Belgian — born in Belgium180.2%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium110.1%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total110.1%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium110.1%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium60.1%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total60.1%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium50.0%
Pays voisin* — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium40.0%
Hors UE27 — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium20.0%
Total — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium20.0%
UE27 (excl. pays voisin) — Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium20.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source17

Is Meerhout 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 worker56%strong on work, weak on housing · range 46–66%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on education · range 48–68%
Student56%strong on cost, weak on education · range 45–67%
Family47%strong on family, weak on education · range 37–57%
Retirement52%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 41–63%
Foreign residents599 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.
Population10,365 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Dwellings4,418 dwellings1 Jan 2021Official source · Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units
Gigabit broadband availability97.9 %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 rate5.01 %1 Jan 2011Independent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
NO₂ — annual mean9.96 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 abroad6.69 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace14Official
Median age45.4 years1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age15Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Meerhout 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 Meerhout?

The published population was 10,365 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Meerhout?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.7 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 Meerhout?

Police recorded 3,917 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 Meerhout?

The unemployment rate is about 5 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Meerhout?

599 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 Meerhout a good place to live?

Meerhout 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 Meerhout?

The official country of birth distribution records 314 people (3.1%) 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). Meerhout, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/meerhout/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_meerhout-belgium-jobs-safety-air-quality_c89b22e8d1ae,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Meerhout, 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/meerhout/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Meerhout, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/meerhout/) — 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. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  5. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  6. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 10 more sources
  1. Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  4. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  5. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  7. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  8. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country_of_birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  9. Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
  10. 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.