Economy, jobs and prices in Arr. Oostende (Flanders, Belgium): official figures
GDP per person was 39,700 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 99% of the EU average (117% for Belgium); 17th highest of 44 arrondissements in Belgium.
How big is the economy of Arr. Oostende?
The local economy produced €7.2 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Arr. Oostende?
About 53,900 people worked in Arr. Oostende in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow rich is the Oostende arrondissement?
Net taxable income averaged €24,087 per resident in the Oostende arrondissement in income year 2023, 3% above the Belgian average of €23,352; that was the 17th highest of the 44 Belgian arrondissements.
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyWhat is the average income per tax return in the Oostende arrondissement?
106,143 income tax returns were filed by residents of the Oostende arrondissement for income year 2023, with an average net taxable income of €36,317 per return (the 16th lowest among the 44 Belgian arrondissements; Belgian average €37,275).
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Arr. Oostende?
The largest part of the economy of Arr. Oostende in 2024 was finance, property and business services, at 27.2% of gross value added, followed by industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (22.8%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Arr. Oostende?
Factories, mines and energy produced 22.8% of the value added in Arr. Oostende in 2024, against 15.3% for Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Arr. Oostende growing?
Gross value added rose from €3.8 billion in 2015 to €6.5 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 69% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Arr. Oostende?
Of the 53,900 jobs located in Arr. Oostende in 2024, 33% in public services, education, health and other services, 10% in industry and 1.3% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Arr. Oostende?
The number of people working in Arr. Oostende rose by 5.7% between 2015 and 2024, to 53,900.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Average net taxable income per resident in the Oostende arrondissement rose by 38.7% between income years 2013 and 2023, from €17,369 to €24,087 (Belgium: +37.2%), the 16th fastest growth of the 44 Belgian arrondissements. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- Residents of the Oostende arrondissement declared 3.85 billion euros of net taxable income in 2023, 1.4% of the Belgian total, while they made up 1.4% of the population counted in the tax statistics. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- Earnings from work, pensions and benefits (professional income) made up 98.3% of net taxable income in the Oostende arrondissement in 2023, and taxable real estate income 1.6% (Belgium: 98.0% and 1.5%). Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
How Arr. Oostende compares with other arrondissements in Belgium
Net taxable income per resident (2023)
Arr. Oostende ranks 17 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Net taxable income per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Arr. Turnhout | €24,618 |
| 15 | Arr. Eeklo | €24,207 |
| 16 | Arr. Hasselt | €24,183 |
| 17 | Arr. Oostende | €24,087 |
| 18 | Arr. Huy | €24,024 |
| 19 | Arr. Tielt | €23,832 |
| 20 | Arr. Kortrijk | €23,807 |
Growth in net taxable income per resident, 2013-2023 (2023)
Arr. Oostende ranks 16 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Growth in net taxable income per resident, 2013-2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Arr. Gent | 38.9% |
| 14 | Arr. Oudenaarde | 38.9% |
| 15 | Arr. Mechelen | 38.8% |
| 16 | Arr. Oostende | 38.7% |
| 17 | Arr. Waremme | 38.7% |
| 18 | Arr. Brugge | 38.6% |
| 19 | Arr. Philippeville | 38.6% |
Net taxable income per tax return (2023)
Arr. Oostende ranks 29 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Net taxable income per tax return |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Arr. Diksmuide | €37,243 |
| 27 | Arr. Ieper | €36,753 |
| 28 | Arr. Namur | €36,581 |
| 29 | Arr. Oostende | €36,317 |
| 30 | Arr. Ath | €36,260 |
| 31 | Arr. Bastogne | €35,537 |
| 32 | Arr. Neufchâteau | €35,496 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Arr. Oostende ranks 7 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Arr. Nivelles | 30.6% |
| 5 | Arr. Ieper | 29.1% |
| 6 | Arr. Tournai-Mouscron | 24.5% |
| 7 | Arr. Oostende | 22.8% |
| 8 | Arr. Soignies | 22.5% |
| 9 | Arr. Roeselare | 22.0% |
| 10 | Bezirk Verviers — Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft | 21.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Arr. Oostende ranks 24 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Arr. Namur | 27.6% |
| 22 | Arr. Verviers — communes francophones | 27.6% |
| 23 | Arr. La Louvière | 27.4% |
| 24 | Arr. Oostende | 27.2% |
| 25 | Arr. Philippeville | 27.0% |
| 26 | Arr. Diksmuide | 26.9% |
| 27 | Arr. Hasselt | 26.8% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Arr. Oostende ranks 29 of 44, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Arr. Veurne | 24.6% |
| 27 | Arr. Tongeren | 24.1% |
| 28 | Arr. Gent | 23.9% |
| 29 | Arr. Oostende | 22.6% |
| 30 | Arr. Eeklo | 22.1% |
| 31 | Arr. Maaseik | 21.2% |
| 32 | Arr. Oudenaarde | 21.0% |
More on Arr. Oostende: overview · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Flanders · Belgium
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- 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…)
- 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…)
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