Moving to Belgium
Belgium country facts, largest cities, hub labels and reports.
Across 198 passports, 93 passports enter visa-free and 105 passports need a visa for Belgium. Check your passport below.
- Visa-free
- 93
- Visa required
- 105
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 5 Sept 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Belgium?
The national unemployment rate was 6.2 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)13
This is the Eurostat labour-force survey series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
What is the median gross salary in Belgium?
The median gross salary was 3,728 EUR/month in 2022-10.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below. national-accounts average — shown in the table below.
What is the minimum wage in Belgium?
The statutory minimum wage is about 13.56 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026-07). Source: SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale36
National statutory floor, gross, before tax and social contributions.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary, monthly | 3,728 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | statbel.fgov.be37Official · national figure |
| National unemployment rate | 6.2 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)13Official · national figure |
| Minimum gross hourly wage | 13.56 EUR/hour | 27 Aug 2026 | SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale36Official · national figure |
Typical city (median): about 5.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
Typical city (median): about 7.4 µg/m³
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
Typical city (median): about 5,136 incidents per 100,000 residents
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents
Public employment service in Belgium
Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.
Actiris — Public employment service
Le Forem — Public employment service
VDAB — Public employment service
A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Taxes in Belgium
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
What does an average earner take home in Belgium?
A single person on an average wage keeps about 37,691 EUR/year of about 62,348 EUR/year gross per year — 60.5% of pay.
Standardized OECD Taxing Wages (standardized scenario): single person, no children, earning the average wage. The same scenario is published for every covered country, so take-home shares compare directly.
| Component | Amount / year |
|---|---|
| Net wage earnings, kept | 37,691 |
| Income taxes | −15,932 |
| Employee social contributions | −8,725 |
| Gross wage earnings | 62,348 |
- Gross-to-net pay for a sample household: single person no children — 62,348 gross → 37,691 net a year (2025, national currency) · Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in Belgium
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
Allocations de chômage après une occupation — réglementation à partir du 01.03.2026 — Unemployment support | 29.27–106.65 EUR / Daily | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current ONEM T201 amount table gives published daily minimums from EUR 29.27 to EUR 76.55 and published daily maximums from EUR 75.30 to EUR 106.65 across household categories and benefit months 1–24. The actual daily amount is calculated from the last remuneration subject to the applicable salary ceiling and decreases by benefit period. The current ONEM Spotlight study, section ‘Accès à l’assurance-chômage pour les non-Belges’, states: ‘les travailleurs étrangers ne peuvent bénéficier d'allocations que s'ils sont en possession d'un permis de séjour et de travail valable’; it also states: ‘les permis de travail qui ne donnent qu'un accès limité au marché de l'emploi ... ne donnent pas droit à des allocations de chômage complètes et illimitées’, while workers with a permit valid for several occupations or employers have in principle the same rights as Belgian nationals. . The claimant must additionally satisfy the current T200 rule of proving 312 days of work and/or assimilated days in the 36-month reference period and the other statutory availability and unemployment conditions. | ||
Material reception assistance for applicants for international protection — Arrival and reception support | In-kind support | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Fedasil pages list an in-kind material-assistance package of food and accommodation, medical, psychological and social assistance, clothing and hygiene products, legal and interpreting support, plus a small weekly pocket-money payment. The official pocket-money page describes the adult amount as around EUR 8 per week and additional community-work remuneration as centre-dependent; no fixed national EUR rate is asserted. The current Fedasil page states that applicants for international protection are entitled to reception during the entire period their application is being examined, and that the right to material assistance applies once the international-protection application has been submitted and expires at the end of the procedure. Fedasil's assigned-place and reception-eligibility screening conditions remain applicable and no broader migrant-resident status is inferred. | ||
Revenu d'intégration sociale (RIS) — Minimum-income support | 893.65–1,811.57 EUR / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Primabook RIS table valid from 1 March 2026 gives EUR 893.65 per month for Category 1, EUR 1,340.47 per month for Category 2 and EUR 1,811.57 per month for Category 3. The payable integration income is complementary after the CPAS means assessment and depends on the statutory beneficiary category and resources. The official SPP Intégration sociale Primabook states that the exact source-defined migrant categories include ‘Réfugié reconnu’ and ‘Personne bénéficiant du statut de protection subsidiaire’; it also states that ‘Une personne reconnue comme apatride’ satisfies the nationality condition for the right to social integration. , subsidiary_protection_status_holder_in_belgium_for_social_integration_income and stateless_person_in_belgium_for_social_integration_income. The person must still have habitual and effective legal residence in Belgium, insufficient resources and the other statutory RIS conditions. | ||
Vlaams Groeipakket — basisbedrag for children with temporary protection — Family and child support | 184.62 EUR / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current official Vlaanderen.be amounts page lists the Vlaams Groeipakket basic amount as EUR 184.62 per month for amounts applying from 1 September 2025. Other source-defined components such as the start amount, school bonus and social supplements are separate and are not folded into this basic-amount record. The official GPedia guidance for displaced persons states: ‘Personen met de tijdelijke beschermingsstatus voldoen onmiddellijk vanaf de machtiging tot verblijf aan de verblijfsvoorwaarde gezinsbijslagen Groeipakket.’ The same guidance defines the temporary-protection route for Ukrainians and specified family members and explains the Belgian municipality/foreigners-register and A-card steps. The current Vlaanderen.be page for children with non-Belgian nationality confirms that the child must meet the source-defined residence conditions. and does not broaden that status to generic family reunification, lawful residence or every foreign child. | ||
Vlaamse huurpremie voor kandidaat-huurders van een sociale woning — Housing support | Amount set per household by formula / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsFormula: Vlaamse Huurpremie = reference rent minus own contribution; the reference rent equals 75% of the maximum rent and the own contribution equals 1/55 of annual income. For 2026 the maximum is EUR 188.10 plus EUR 31.35 per dependent up to the fourth dependent, or EUR 206.91 plus EUR 34.48 per dependent in specified municipalities. The actual amount varies with annual income, household composition and municipality. The official Flemish social-housing allocation rules state: ‘De kandidaat-huurder is ingeschreven in het bevolkings- of vreemdelingenregister’; the same section notes that, at allocation, recognized refugees must be registered in the foreigners register. The official Flemish Huurpremie page separately requires at least four uninterrupted years on the social-housing waiting list with a woonmaatschappij. , subject to the source-defined waiting-list, main-residence, rent, income and household conditions; it does not broaden the status to every lawful resident or every foreign national. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in Belgium?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Belgium when the official insurance or residence conditions are met.
Language courses and integration in Belgium
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
Brussels newcomer integration programme — Welcome Program
Brussels-Capital recognized integration offices
For newcomers in Brussels-Capital Region.
CERCO adult French reinforcement and orientation — Municipal language course
Ville de Liège / Instruction publique / CERCO
For adults from age 18, adults preparing further training or orientation.
Dutch practice lesson at De Nomade Leuven — Newcomer Adaptation
Stad Leuven / De Nomade
For adults whose first language is not Dutch, people waiting for or starting NT2.
Dutch practice opportunities in Bruges — Newcomer Adaptation
Stad Brugge
For non-native Dutch-speaking residents.
Dutch-course orientation in Brussels — Other
Huis van het Nederlands Brussel
For adults seeking Dutch courses.
Flemish integration pathway — Integration course
Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering and city agencies
For newcomers in Flanders and Brussels.
Living and moving context for Belgium
Belgium had GDP per capita of US$60,750 in 2025 and life expectancy of 82.3 years in 2024. There were 3.574 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022. Total unemployment was 6.2% in 2025. The 2024 groceries price level index was 108 on an EU27=100 basis. Monthly estimates put groceries at €346 and utilities at €142; household electricity was €0.405/kWh and gas was €0.092/kWh. Average gross salary was €3,685 per month in 2024, and national median net income was €1,963 per month. Household net-income estimates were €2,952 per month for one person, €3,465 for a couple and €3,985 for a family. The national crime rate was about 7,610 offences per 100,000 people in 2025. For 2024, the employee calculation gave €14,574 a year in income tax and €11,924 in social contributions.
Belgium cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
All published cities in Belgium
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
Belgium facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in Belgium?
The published population was 11,858,610 people in 2024. Source: World Bank41
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
How many foreign residents live in Belgium?
The foreign-resident population was 1,668,807 people in 2025. Source: Eurostat7
Residents without Belgium citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Conditional | 3 Aug 2026 | Belgium.be, Government of Belgium2Official · national figure |
| Area | 30,689 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank42Official · national figure |
| Cost level against the capital | 108 index (EU27=100) | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx)9Official · national |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 62,348 gross → 37,691 net a year (2025, national currency) | 31 Dec 2025 | Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition38Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 11,617,623 people (2022) | 1 Jan 2022 | Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN)35Official · country annual series |
| Salary by profession | Elementary occupations — 3,677 EUR/month (2024) | 31 Dec 2024 | ILOSTAT — Average monthly earnings of employees by sex, occupation and currency (annual)23Official · country occupation |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 3.57 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2022 | World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS44Official · national figure |
| Household electricity price | 0.405 EUR/kWh | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas)11Official · national |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 56,600 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 2,300 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 496,300 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 19,900 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 36,600 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 292,900 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 570,300 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 276,100 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 155,900 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 136,300 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 108,000 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 29,000 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in professional, scientific and technical services | 708,100 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in administrative and support services | 479,700 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in public administration, defence and compulsory social security | 459,500 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
| People employed in education | 440,700 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu3Official · national figure |
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Belgium?
The national unemployment rate was 6.2 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a).
How many people live in Belgium?
The published population was 11,858,610 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in Belgium?
The median gross salary was 3,728 EUR/month in 2022-10. Source: statbel.fgov.be.
What is the minimum wage in Belgium?
The statutory minimum wage is about 13.56 EUR/hour, gross (as of 2026-07). Source: SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale.
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). Moving to Belgium: salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/belgium/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-belgium-salary-cost-of-living_0575fd4e1e1f,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to Belgium: salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-12},
version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/belgium/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to Belgium: salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/belgium/) — 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
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- Belgian Police — 2025 recorded criminal facts and official population denominator Belgian Police · police.be · checked 2026-07-29
- Belgium.be, Government of Belgium belgium.be · checked 2026-08-03
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- EF EPI ef.com · checked 2026-08-03
- European Medicines Agency ema.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-20
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-07
- Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
- Eurostat — Distribution of income by household composition (ilc_di04) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
Show 39 more sources
- Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
- Eurostat — National accounts aggregates (nama_10_a10) and employment (nama_10_a10_e) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat crim_off_cat (ICCS0101, NR) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat demo_pjan ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat earn_mw_cur ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat hbs_exp_t121 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat ilc_di03 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Federal Public Service Finance, Belgium finance.belgium.be · checked 2026-08-03
- FPS Finance (fin.belgium.be) fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-08-03
- Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- ILOSTAT — Average monthly earnings of employees by sex, occupation and currency (annual) ILOSTAT · rplumber.ilo.org · checked 2026-07-30
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Our World in Data (UNODC-backed grapher export) ourworldindata.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- SPF Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale emploi.belgique.be · checked 2026-08-27
- statbel.fgov.be statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-03
- Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- OECD — Taxing Wages (DF_TAXINGWAGES) tax wedge and net income OECD · oecd.org · checked 2026-07-14