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Living in Niel

Population density was 2,068.5 people per km² in 2026. Annual PM2.5 was 8.25 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Niel, a city in Belgium, had a population of 11,059 at the start of 2026. For Niel, annual NO₂ was 12.9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The city covered 5.3 km² in 2025.

Lower unemployment than 63% of Belgian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 64% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 70% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Niel.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings4,357 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units13Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings4,355 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)11Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 4.32% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Niel?

The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 4.32 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201121
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Niel is 4.3%. 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%1234–6Niel 4.3%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 availability98.78 %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 rate4.32 %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 Niel. 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 Niel. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Niel?

Police recorded about 4,449 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: 4,449 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202520
Recorded crime across major citiesNiel highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Niel highlighted14,236Ixelles14,026Charleroi11,116Anderlecht10,154Seraing10,141Schaerbeek10,075Molenbeek-Saint-Jean9,031Hasselt7,894Genk7,680Uccle6,914La Louvière6,684Woluwe-Saint-Lambert4,449Nielrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents4,449 offences per 100,000country median 5,13631 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202520Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights9Official
Nearest airportANR3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official
Distance to nearest airport13 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports10Official

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Niel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.3 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: 8.25 µg/m³ · Official RIO v2025 annual mean derived from daily population-weighted municipality concentrations for NIS5 62093; period 2024-01-01..2024-12-318
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Niel 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
Niel average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100686054425873798470667689JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Niel annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.3PM2.5154015.2PM10104012.9NO₂µg/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 Niel is 8.3 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/m³1428–9Niel 8.312 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean12.89 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..2024-12-316Official
PM10 — annual mean15.24 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..2024-12-317Official
PM2.5 — annual mean8.25 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..2024-12-318Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.6 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 11.1 · Apr 15.2 · May 18.8 · Jun 21.6 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 15.3 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 7 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ANTWERPENDEURNE_06450.csv19Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.1 · Feb 1 · Mar 2.7 · Apr 5.1 · May 9.1 · Jun 12.2 · Jul 14.2 · Aug 13.7 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.4 · Nov 4.1 · Dec 1.8 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ANTWERPENDEURNE_06450.csv19Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 3.9 · Feb 4.3 · Mar 6.9 · Apr 10.2 · May 14 · Jun 16.9 · Jul 18.9 · Aug 18.6 · Sep 15.3 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.4 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ANTWERPENDEURNE_06450.csv19Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 68.3 · Feb 59.9 · Mar 54 · Apr 41.5 · May 58.4 · Jun 73.1 · Jul 78.5 · Aug 83.8 · Sep 70 · Oct 66.3 · Nov 75.7 · Dec 89 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ANTWERPENDEURNE_06450.csv19Official · nearest-station reading
Annual PM2.5 over time11 published observations, 2014–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Niel by year, µg/m³7.610.613.616.62014201620182020202220248.3µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 48.4% between 2014 and 2024, from 16.0 to 8.3.

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Villers-la-Ville11,054 residentsCourt-Saint-Etienne11,081 residentsDe Pinte11,091 residentsRaeren11,114 residentsMeulebeke11,123 residentsAiseau-Presles10,964 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Niel?

The published population was 11,059 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Niel residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport93.1%Foreign residents 6.9%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area5.35 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.3Official
Foreign-resident share7.01 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)12Official
Foreign residents760 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.4Official
Population density2,068 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.5Official
Population11,059 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source1Official

International community in Niel

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 population10,493100.0%
Born in Belgium9,47990.3%
Born in a non-EU country6726.4%
Born in another EU member state3423.3%

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 population10,493100.0%
Belgian nationality9,93294.7%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state3333.2%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country2192.1%
Not indicated80.1%
Stateless10.0%

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 with foreign origin1,55714.8%
Total population10,493100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium9,47990.3%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total8,37579.8%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium8,28679.0%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium1,10210.5%
Total population — born outside Belgium1,0149.7%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total7567.2%
Non-Belgian — total5615.3%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium4704.5%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total4694.5%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium4554.3%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium4554.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium4344.1%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total3323.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium3253.1%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium3223.1%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium910.9%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium890.8%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium140.1%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium70.1%

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

Is Niel 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 worker58%strong on work, weak on housing · range 48–68%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on education · range 51–71%
Student56%strong on cost, weak on education · range 45–67%
Family47%strong on family, weak on education · range 37–57%
Retirement50%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–61%
Foreign residents760 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.
Population11,059 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Dwellings4,357 dwellings1 Jan 2021Official source · Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units
Gigabit broadband availability98.78 %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 rate4.32 %1 Jan 2011Independent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
NO₂ — annual mean12.89 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 abroad9.66 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace14Official
Median age39.3 years1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age15Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Niel 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 Niel?

The published population was 11,059 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Niel?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.3 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 Niel?

Police recorded about 4,449 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 Niel?

The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Niel?

760 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 Niel a good place to live?

Niel 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 Niel?

The official country of birth distribution records 342 people (3.3%) 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). Niel, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/niel/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_niel-belgium-jobs-safety-air-quality_24c071e19d26,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Niel, 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/niel/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Niel, Belgium: jobs, safety, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/niel/) — 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. Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2025-01-01
  4. Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  5. Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column. statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-01-01
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 11 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 ancestry_or_ethnicity statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  8. Statbel, Belgian statistical office country_of_birth statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-29
  9. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station ANTWERPENDEURNE_06450.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  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.