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Living in Schaerbeek

Schaerbeek had 129,278 residents at the start of 2026 and is a city in Belgium. Foreign-born residents accounted for 47.7% of the population at the start of 2021. The city covered 7.9 km² in 2025. Population density was 16,361.6 people per km² in 2026.

Higher unemployment than 98% of Belgian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 97% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 63% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Schaerbeek.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings53,305 dwellings1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units14Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings53,267 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics — Statistics Belgium)12Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 19.9% at the start of 2011.

What is the unemployment rate in Schaerbeek?

The unemployment rate is about 19.9 % (January 2011).

  • Unemployment rate: 19.87 % · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201122
Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Schaerbeek is 19.9%. 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%1234–670 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%1018–20Schaerbeek 19.9%6 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 availability99.95 %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 rate19.87 %country median 5.3%1 Jan 2011Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 201122Independent

Public employment service

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

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Schools77 schools31 Oct 2025FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register3Official

Safety

How safe is Schaerbeek?

Police recorded about 10,141 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: 10,141 offences per 100,000 · Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202521
Recorded crime across major citiesSchaerbeek highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Schaerbeek highlighted14,236Ixelles14,026Charleroi11,116Anderlecht10,154Seraing10,141Schaerbeek10,140Verviers10,075Molenbeek-Saint-Jean9,031Hasselt7,894Genk7,680Uccle6,914La Louvière6,684Woluwe-Saint-Lambertrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents10,141 offences per 100,000country median 5,13631 Dec 2025Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 202521Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport146 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights10Official
Nearest airportBRU3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official
Distance to nearest airport8 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports11Official

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 7.9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. Annual NO₂ was 15.1 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Schaerbeek?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.9 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..2024-12-319

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
Schaerbeek average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND23°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Schaerbeek average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100766559476071778765687687JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Schaerbeek average monthly sunshine, hours05511016522059731261711981992031921551136649JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Schaerbeek annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.9PM2.5154015.0PM10104015.1NO₂µg/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 Schaerbeek is 7.9 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/m³837–8Schaerbeek 7.9142 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1428–912 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean15.1 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 mean14.96 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 mean7.9 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
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.1 · Feb 7.1 · Mar 10.9 · Apr 15 · May 18.4 · Jun 21.2 · Jul 23.2 · Aug 23 · Sep 19.5 · Oct 14.9 · Nov 9.9 · Dec 6.6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.4 · Feb 1.5 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 6 · May 9.2 · Jun 12 · Jul 14.1 · Aug 13.9 · Sep 11.3 · Oct 8.1 · Nov 4.6 · Dec 2.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 3.7 · Feb 4.2 · Mar 7.1 · Apr 10.4 · May 13.9 · Jun 16.7 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.3 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 75.5 · Feb 65.1 · Mar 59.3 · Apr 46.7 · May 59.7 · Jun 70.8 · Jul 76.9 · Aug 86.5 · Sep 65.3 · Oct 67.8 · Nov 76.2 · Dec 87.4 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv20Official · 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 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Annual PM2.5 over time11 published observations, 2014–2024
Annual PM2.5 in Schaerbeek by year, µg/m³7.210.714.217.72014201620182020202220247.9µg/m³

Annual PM2.5 fell 50.6% between 2014 and 2024, from 16.0 to 7.9.

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities
Anderlecht129,600 residentsBrugge120,283 residentsLeuven104,906 residentsMolenbeek-Saint-Jean98,411 residentsAalst92,131 residentsHasselt90,914 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Schaerbeek?

The published population was 129,278 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source1

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Schaerbeek residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport62.1%Foreign residents37.9%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area7.9 km²1 Jan 2025Official cadastral total area by municipality; 2025 superficie totale (ha), converted to km2.4Official
Foreign-resident share38.48 %31 Dec 2025Statbel (Statistics Belgium)13Official
Foreign residents49,050 people1 Jan 2026Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.5Official
Population density16,362 people/km²1 Jan 2026Official resident population by Belgian municipality on 1 January 2026; Total column.6Official
Population129,278 people1 Jan 2026Belgium official denominator source1Official

International community in Schaerbeek

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 population131,451100.0%
Born in Belgium68,71152.3%
Born in a non-EU country38,54629.3%
Born in another EU member state24,11818.3%
Not indicated760.1%

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 population131,451100.0%
Belgian nationality82,97963.1%
Foreign nationality: other EU member state29,01022.1%
Foreign nationality: non-EU country18,34614.0%
Not indicated1,0950.8%
Stateless210.0%

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 origin57,73743.9%
Total population131,451100.0%
Total population — born in Belgium68,71152.3%
Total population — born outside Belgium62,74047.7%
Non-Belgian — total48,47236.9%
Non-Belgian — born outside Belgium40,59230.9%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born in Belgium36,77628.0%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — total34,50226.2%
Belgian of Belgian origin — total25,24219.2%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born in Belgium24,05518.3%
Total Belgian with foreign origin — born outside Belgium20,96115.9%
Show 10 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born outside Belgium20,32815.5%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — total16,23112.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born in Belgium16,05512.2%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality foreign — born in Belgium14,17410.8%
Non-Belgian — born in Belgium7,8806.0%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — total7,0045.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born in Belgium6,5475.0%
Belgian of Belgian origin — born outside Belgium1,1870.9%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, one parent foreign — born outside Belgium4570.3%
Foreign-origin Belgian, first nationality Belgian, two parents foreign — born outside Belgium1760.1%

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

Is Schaerbeek 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 worker57%strong on work, weak on housing · range 47–67%
Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on housing · range 52–70%
Student64%strong on education, weak on housing · range 56–72%
Family51%strong on family, weak on housing · range 42–60%
Retirement52%strong on cost, weak on admin · range 41–63%
Foreign residents49,050 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Official population by nationality at municipality grain; foreign population is TOTAL minus Belgique in the TOTAL row.
Population129,278 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Belgium official denominator source
Dwellings53,305 dwellings1 Jan 2021Official source · Statbel Census 2021 municipality housing units
Gigabit broadband availability99.95 %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 rate19.87 %1 Jan 2011Independent source · Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011
NO₂ — annual mean15.1 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 abroad47.67 %1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by birthplace15Official
Median age34.2 years1 Jan 2021Statbel Census 2021 municipality population by sex and age16Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Schaerbeek 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 Schaerbeek?

The published population was 129,278 people in January 2026. Source: Belgium official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Schaerbeek?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.9 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 Schaerbeek?

Police recorded about 10,141 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 Schaerbeek?

The unemployment rate is about 19.9 % (January 2011). Source: Statbel be.STAT — unemployment rate of 15–64-year-olds by municipality, Census 2011.

How many foreign residents live in Schaerbeek?

49,050 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 Schaerbeek a good place to live?

Schaerbeek 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 Schaerbeek?

The official country of birth distribution records 24,118 people (18.3%) 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). Schaerbeek, Belgium: jobs, safety, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/schaerbeek/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_schaerbeek-belgium-jobs-safety-climate_3b1c17fb3b2e,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Schaerbeek, 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/schaerbeek/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Schaerbeek, Belgium: jobs, safety, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/schaerbeek/) — 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. FASE 2025/26 official school establishment register odwb.be · checked 2026-07-16
  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. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
Show 12 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. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station UCCLE_06447.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  11. Belgian Federal Police — recorded total offences by municipality, Q4 2025 Belgian Federal Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-26
  12. 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.