Poverty and living standards in Liège, Belgium: official figures
13.2% of the tax returns filed in Liège for 2023 declared no taxable income at all, the 3rd highest share of the 8 largest Belgian cities (Belgium: 7.1%).
Are houses expensive in Liège?
The median house (closed, semi-detached or detached) sold for €206,500 in Liège in 2025, the 2nd lowest of the 8 largest Belgian cities and 34% below the Belgian median of €315,000.
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyHow much does an apartment cost in Liège?
Apartments in Liège changed hands at a median of €170,000 in 2025, across 1,313 sales recorded in the deeds (Belgian median €250,000).
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyIs Liège poor?
23.5% of residents of Liège lived below the administrative poverty threshold of €17,681 a year in 2023, the 3rd highest rate of the 8 largest Belgian cities (Belgium: 10.7%).
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyWhat is the median disposable income in Liège?
Half of the residents of Liège had an equivalised disposable income below €24,040 in 2023, after taxes and including benefits, against a Belgian median of €29,468.
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyHow much does an apartment cost in Liège?
An apartment in Liège cost €174,245 to buy on average in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does a house cost in Liège?
A house cost €191,396 to buy on average in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people live alone in Liège?
46% of the 192,784 households in Liège were people living alone in 2025, and 7.9% were lone parents with children under 18.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyCan people in Liège afford their bills?
In the EU's 2023 quality of life survey, 10% of residents of Liège said they had difficulty paying their bills at the end of the month most of the time.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Median house prices in Liège rose 59% in ten years, from €130,000 in 2015 to €206,500 in 2025 (Belgium: 57%). Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- A detached house with four or more facades cost a median €330,000 in Liège in 2025, against €200,000 for a terraced or semi-detached house with two or three facades. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- 1,443 houses were sold in Liège in 2025; a quarter of them went for less than €155,000 and a quarter for more than €270,000. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- The administrative poverty-risk rate in Liège went from 27.1% in 2015 to 23.5% in 2023, a change of -3.6 percentage points (Belgium: 12.7% to 10.7%). Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- 33% of people in Liège agreed that it is easy to find good housing at a reasonable price (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
- 43% of people in Liège felt safe walking alone at night in the city (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Liège compares with other cities in Belgium
Tax returns declaring no taxable income (2023)
Liège ranks 3 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | City | Tax returns declaring no taxable income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruxelles | 17.8% |
| 2 | Louvain | 13.4% |
| 3 | Liège | 13.2% |
| 4 | Charleroi | 12.4% |
| 5 | Namur | 10.1% |
| 6 | Antwerpen | 8.1% |
| 7 | Gent | 6.9% |
Administrative risk of poverty (2023)
Liège ranks 3 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | City | Administrative risk of poverty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleroi | 24.4% |
| 2 | Bruxelles | 24.3% |
| 3 | Liège | 23.5% |
| 4 | Antwerpen | 18.1% |
| 5 | Namur | 13.9% |
| 6 | Gent | 11.4% |
| 7 | Louvain | 9.6% |
Median equivalised disposable income (2023)
Liège ranks 6 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median equivalised disposable income |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brugge | €31,137 |
| 3 | Gent | €29,557 |
| 4 | Namur | €28,073 |
| 5 | Antwerpen | €25,903 |
| 6 | Liège | €24,040 |
| 7 | Bruxelles | €23,574 |
| 8 | Charleroi | €23,263 |
Median house sale price (2025)
Liège ranks 7 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median house sale price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bruxelles | €430,000 |
| 3 | Gent | €386,100 |
| 4 | Antwerpen | €369,000 |
| 5 | Brugge | €350,000 |
| 6 | Namur | €305,000 |
| 7 | Liège | €206,500 |
| 8 | Charleroi | €158,000 |
Median apartment sale price (2025)
Liège ranks 7 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median apartment sale price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Louvain | €285,000 |
| 3 | Bruxelles | €270,000 |
| 4 | Brugge | €265,000 |
| 5 | Antwerpen | €245,000 |
| 6 | Namur | €205,000 |
| 7 | Liège | €170,000 |
| 8 | Charleroi | €122,000 |
Average apartment price (euros) (2024)
Liège ranks 6 of 7, highest first.
| Rank | City | Average apartment price (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gent | €323,371 |
| 2 | Bruxelles | €300,085 |
| 3 | Brugge | €281,212 |
| 4 | Antwerpen | €267,773 |
| 5 | Namur | €194,075 |
| 6 | Liège | €174,245 |
| 7 | Charleroi | €119,989 |
More on Liège: overview · economy and jobs · health · government budget · government and politics · all cities in Belgium
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clivcon: Urban Audit: living conditions (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bc58ab68d418…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office): Fiscal statistics on income subject to personal income tax, by municipality of residence, income years 2005-2023 (TF_PSNL_INC_TAX_MUNTY), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5ff459c06f5f…)
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office): Equivalent administrative disposable income and administrative risk of poverty by municipality, income years 2015-2023 (DataLab), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8fd608fc02ca…)
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office): Real estate sales according to the nature of the property in the deed of sale, by municipality, arrondissement, province and region, 2010-2026, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd4fa1121df7…)
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