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Living in Merksplas

Merksplas is a city in Belgium, with a population of 8,974 at the start of 2026. Population density was 201.2 people per km² in 2026. Annual NO₂ was 10.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The unemployment rate was 3.51% at the start of 2011. Annual PM2.5 was 8.95 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The city covered 44.6 km² in 2025.

Lower unemployment than 77% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 96% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Merksplas.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings3,352 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units14Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings3,343 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)12Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Merksplas?

The unemployment rate is about 3.5 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 3.51 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201121
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Merksplas is 3.5%. 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%1602–4Merksplas 3.5%123 cities: 4% to under 6%1234–670 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 availability95.73 %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 rate3.51 %country median 5.3%1 Jan 2011Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201121Independent

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Merksplas?

Police recorded about 5,371 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: 5,371 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202520
Recorded crime across major citiesMerksplas highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Merksplas highlighted14,236Ixelles14,026Charleroi11,116Anderlecht10,154Seraing10,141Schaerbeek10,075Molenbeek-Saint-Jean9,031Hasselt7,894Genk7,680Uccle6,914La Louvière6,684Woluwe-Saint-Lambert5,371Merksplasrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,371 offences per 100,000country median 5,13631 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202520Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Nearest airportOBL3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official
Distance to nearest airport12 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Merksplas?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9 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: 8.95 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-3110
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Merksplas average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100686355436067817265707482JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Merksplas annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5154015.9PM10104010.2NO₂µg/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 Merksplas 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/m³1428–9Merksplas 9.012 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean10.17 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..2024-12-318Official
PM10 — annual mean15.85 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..2024-12-319Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.95 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..2024-12-3110Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 13.47 · Feb 17.3 · Mar 21.24 · Apr 26.69 · May 29.79 · Jun 33.35 · Jul 37.89 · Aug 34.73 · Sep 32.51 · Oct 25.39 · Nov 19.77 · Dec 14.34 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -12.38 · Feb -16.09 · Mar -8.1 · Apr -4.37 · May 1.08 · Jun 4.62 · Jul 8.38 · Aug 7.29 · Sep 3.84 · Oct -3.39 · Nov -4.51 · Dec -11.86 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Average temperature by monthJan 2.5 · Feb 3.07 · Mar 5.84 · Apr 9.82 · May 13.59 · Jun 16.92 · Jul 18.87 · Aug 18.45 · Sep 15.25 · Oct 11.16 · Nov 6.76 · Dec 3.38 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 68 · Feb 63.1 · Mar 54.8 · Apr 42.5 · May 59.8 · Jun 66.5 · Jul 81.4 · Aug 71.6 · Sep 65.4 · Oct 69.9 · Nov 74.2 · Dec 81.9 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Annual PM2.5 over time10 published observations, 2015–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Merksplas by year, µg/m³8.610.512.514.4201520172019202120249.0µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 36.0% between 2015 and 2024, from 14.0 to 9.0.

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Galmaarden8,931 residentsBassenge9,059 residentsKoekelare8,886 residentsBertrix9,110 residentsJalhay8,833 residentsDentergem8,824 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Merksplas?

The published population was 8,974 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Merksplas residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport87.2%Foreign residents12.8%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area44.6 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.5Official
Foreign-resident share12.71 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)13Official
Foreign residents1,151 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.6Official
Population density201.2 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.7Official
Population8,974 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source1Official

International community in Merksplas

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 population8,616100.0%
Born in Belgium7,65688.9%
Born in another EU member state7658.9%
Born in a non-EU country1942.3%
Not indicated10.0%

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

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 population8,616100.0%
Belgian nationality7,73289.7%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state7739.0%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country901.0%
Not indicated210.2%

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

Ancestry or ethnicity

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Total Belgian with foreign origin6537.6%
Total population8,616100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium7,65688.9%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total7,07982.2%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium7,02881.6%
Total population — born outside Belgium96011.1%
Non-Belgian — total88410.3%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium7548.8%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium4985.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total3574.1%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium3393.9%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total2703.1%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium1551.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium1361.6%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium1341.6%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium1301.5%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium510.6%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total260.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium250.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium180.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium10.0%

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

Is Merksplas 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 worker53%strong on work, weak on housing · range 43–63%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on education · range 49–69%
Student51%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 40–62%
Family46%strong on family, weak on education · range 36–56%
Retirement48%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 37–59%
Foreign residents1,151 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.
Population8,974 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Dwellings3,352 dwellings1 Jan 2021Official source · Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units
Gigabit broadband availability95.73 %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 rate3.51 %1 Jan 2011Independent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
NO₂ — annual mean10.17 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 abroad11.13 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace15Official
Median age44.5 years1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age16Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Merksplas 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 Merksplas?

The published population was 8,974 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Merksplas?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9 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 Merksplas?

Police recorded about 5,371 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 Merksplas?

The unemployment rate is about 3.5 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Merksplas?

1,151 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 Merksplas a good place to live?

Merksplas 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 Merksplas?

The official country of birth distribution records 765 people (8.9%) 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). Merksplas, Belgium: jobs, safety, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/merksplas/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_merksplas-belgium-jobs-safety-climate_3a1db7098ee3,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Merksplas, Belgium: jobs, safety, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/merksplas/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Merksplas, Belgium: jobs, safety, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/merksplas/) — 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. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  6. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  7. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
Show 11 more sources
  1. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium) Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics · statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-07
  3. Statbel (Statistics Belgium) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  5. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  6. Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-07-16
  7. Statbel, Belgian statistical office statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-30
  8. Statbel, Belgian statistical office ancestry_or_ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  9. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country_of_birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  10. Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
  11. 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.