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Living in Brussels: what the figures say

Brussels · Bruxelles-Capitale · public registers

In brief

  • Brussels has 196,828 inhabitants over 32.6 km², that is 6,036 per km².
  • The population grew by +8.3% in five years: the municipality attracts.
  • 295.7 recorded offences per 1,000 inhabitants, 474% above the Belgian median (51.5).
  • Median declared income: €23,574 per return, that is +18% against the national median.
  • 1,655 hours of sunshine and 804 mm of rain a year on average (RMI, 1991-2020), against 1,703 h and 837 mm for the median Belgian municipality.

Statbel, Federal Police and OpenStreetMap; the scores are computed by Immolytics, out of 100.

Brussels

Official municipal outline, Statbel boundaries

The municipality's scores

Out of 100, computed on actual amenities (stops, schools, shops, green space) and police statistics.

73/100overall score
0/100safety
100/100public transport
76/100schools
88/100shops and services
51/100green space
85/100everything on foot

Housing in Brussels

Median prices from notarial deeds, Q1 2026, set against local income.

€432,500house, median price
€270,000apartment, median price
18.3years of median income for a house
The full budget to buy in BrusselsThe full price page

Demographics

196,828Population+8.3 % over five years
6,036Population densityinhabitants per km²
63,980HouseholdsAverage household size : 3.1
39.4 %Foreign population

Age distribution

Local economy

€23,574Median income+17.9 % National comparison
21,606Enterprises109.8 per 1,000 inhabitants
18.3xAffordability ratioIncome vs property price

Tax pressure : 21.5 %

Safety

Offences recorded by the Federal Police, set against the population.

Safety — Federal Police 2023

Score 0/100

295.7

criminal offences per 1,000 inhabitants

Well above median
Brussels
295.7
Belgium (avg.)
51.5
Brussels
295.0

Scale 0 – 300 offences / 1,000 pop. · Belgium ≈ 51.5 · Brussels ≈ 295

This score ranks municipalities by recorded offences relative to their resident population. Employment, retail and tourism hubs rank higher because offences against visitors are counted while those visitors are not part of the reference population.

Source: Federal Police of Belgium — Police Crime Statistics 2023

Schools and transport

The amenities counted in the municipality, not an impression.

Schools

School map

Total schools

144

School density

7.3

per 10,000 pop.

Primary / kindergarten
91
Secondary
47
Higher education
6

Source: FASE 2026 (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) and Onderwijs Vlaanderen

Public Transport

Total stops

663

Weekday departures

212,976

Transit density

33.7

stops per 10,000 pop.

Train stations
10
Bus stops
486
Tram stops
131
Metro stations
36

Source: GTFS Belgium, SNCB, De Lijn, TEC, STIB (CC BY 4.0)

Climate of Brussels

RMI normals for 1991-2020, each set against the median Belgian municipality.

10.9 °Cmean annual temperaturemedian municipality: 10.8 °C
1,655 hhours of sunshine per yearmedian municipality: 1,703 h
804 mmprecipitation per yearmedian municipality: 837 mm
131rainy days (at least 1 mm)median municipality: 134
48frost daysmedian municipality: 51
7days at 30 °C or moremedian municipality: 7

Last frost on average on 7 April, first frost on 12 November; growing season from 13 May to 11 October.

Source: RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute), climate statistics of Belgian municipalities, reference period 1991-2020. RMI sheet for the municipality (PDF, in French)

Neighbouring municipalities

Median house price and overall score, to compare before choosing.

Schaerbeek€505,00067/100Anderlecht€340,00074/100Molenbeek-Saint-Jean€363,75065/100Ixelles€775,00062/100Uccle€684,50073/100Woluwe-Saint-Lambert€662,50066/100

Explore Brussels

Frequently asked questions

Brussels has 196,828 inhabitants, that is 6,036 per km². The population changed by +8.3% in five years (Statbel).
The Federal Police recorded 295.7 offences per 1,000 inhabitants there, against 51.5 for the median Belgian municipality. The figure counts every offence, from bicycle theft to assault; it places the municipality, it does not describe a street.
The median price of a house is €432,500 and that of an apartment €270,000 (Q1 2026, Statbel notarial deeds). The buying in Brussels page details the budget with duties and fees.
The municipality has 144 schools, including 91 primary and 47 secondary schools (community registers). The school-by-school detail is in the schools and transport section.

Sources: Statbel for population, households, incomes and prices; Federal Police for recorded offences; community registers for schools; operators' GTFS timetables for transport; OpenStreetMap for the scores. A portrait in figures, not an opinion.

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