Flanders (Vlaams Gewest): economy, jobs and official figures

Flanders is a region of Belgium, the largest of 3 by population. Flanders had 6,884,271 residents on 1 January 2025, 57.9% of the population of Belgium and the largest of 3 regions in Belgium. That is 6.7% more than in 2015.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Flanders: GDP per person was 47,700 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 120% of the EU average; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Belgium. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
• Health in Flanders: Life expectancy at birth was 83.3 years in 2024 (82.4 for Belgium); the highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
• Education in Flanders: The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 47.7% in 2025, against 47.5% for Belgium and 36.9% across the EU; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
• Poverty and living standards in Flanders: Disposable household income was 26,100 PPS per person in 2024; the highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
• Government budget and revenue in Flanders: Personal income tax assessed on the 2023 incomes of Flanders totalled 40,445 million euros, or €5,929 per resident, the highest of the 3 regions (Belgium: €5,342).
• Government and politics in Flanders: N-VA topped the Flemish Parliament vote in Flanders on 9 June 2024 with 24.1% of valid list votes, ahead of Vlaams Belang (22.9%) and Vooruit (13.9%).

Arrondissements in Flanders

Flanders is made up of 22 arrondissements. Each has its own page of official figures.

• Arr. Antwerpen 1,101,687
• Arr. Halle-Vilvoorde 674,772
• Arr. Gent 583,606
• Arr. Leuven 530,971
• Arr. Turnhout 483,806
• Arr. Hasselt 436,040
• Arr. Mechelen 362,480
• Arr. Aalst 307,873
• Arr. Kortrijk 304,883
• Arr. Brugge 288,078
• Arr. Sint-Niklaas 267,496
• Arr. Maaseik 261,761
• Arr. Tongeren 211,654
• Arr. Dendermonde 208,652
• Arr. Oostende 161,284
• Arr. Roeselare 160,971
• Arr. Oudenaarde 128,922
• Arr. Ieper 109,063
• Arr. Tielt 96,253
• Arr. Eeklo 89,887
• Arr. Veurne 61,392
• Arr. Diksmuide 52,740

How regions are governed in Belgium

Regions (3) and communities (3). Elected parliaments and governments. Set the law for municipalities and provinces, supervise them and fund them.

Every tier of government in Belgium

Other regions of Belgium

• Wallonia 3,727,515
• Brussels-Capital Region 1,271,709

Up a level: Belgium · government and power in Belgium · cities

Sources

• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d2jan: Population on 1 January, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1572e74fa245…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 537f99167955…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Disposable household income per person (PPS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd6019768e9f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset rd_e_gerdreg: Research and development spending (% of GDP), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36a9132b2284…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec: Live births, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6a1490d549d5…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_magec: Deaths, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4821a589633…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
• FPS Home Affairs, Elections directorate: Elections of 9 June 2024: official results by commune (Flemish, Walloon and Brussels parliaments, Chamber and European Parliament), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 df4c8c932aff…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gvagr: Real growth rate of regional gross value added (GVA) at basic prices by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ba2c4bdc7c37…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2coe: Compensation of employees by NUTS 2 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 895d7cc9e826…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
• FPS Home Affairs, Elections directorate: Elections of 9 June 2024, Flemish Parliament: electoral figures of the lists by constituency and seat distribution, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f6c0dff6e230…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
• 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…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
• 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…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_silc_08_r: Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5484460cdfc…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
• 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…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_find2: Fertility indicators by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d3f275c072bc…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Income of households by NUTS 2 region (euros per inhabitant), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7441dafca51…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.