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Socio-economic development of the Brussels Region

Standard of living

According to the existing tax statistics (Statbel), the mean income of people who live in Brussels amounted to 25,094 Euro (per tax return; 12,885 Euro per inhabitant) in 2011. This is the lowest of the 3 Belgian regions. Furthermore, the incomes are distributed unevenly since the median income per inhabitant is lower than the mean income.

Income tax

In 2012, 68% of the Region's 1,138,854 inhabitants were between 15 and 64 years old. This percentage thus corresponds with the persons 'of working age'. In this group, 65% are actually available for the labour market (« active population » or « working population ») and the unemployment rate amounts to 17.5%.
According to Actiris, there are 107,854 jobseekers who don't have a job (in 2012).

Socio-economic status of the population

Economic activities and employment

There were almost 690,000 jobs in the Brussels-Capital Region in 2011, a number which has increased steadily (+ 5%) since 2003. The Region is characterised by a dominant tertiary sector or service sector (92.6% in 2011).

Number of jobs in the Brussels-Capital Region per sector
Source : NBB Belgostat, according to ICN-INR. Splitted according to the NACE codes 2008.

Number of jobs in the Brussels-Capital Region per sector

In 2011, the Region had 84,876 businesses of which approximately a quarter (19,542) had employees. Of these, 88% employed less than 20 persons and 87% belonged to the service sector.

Brussels' businesses with employees, in 2011: splitted per business sector and according to the number of employees
Source : BISA according to FPS Economy - ADSEI cross-referenced with ONSS-RSZ/VAT

Brussels' businesses with employees, in 2011
Brussels' businesses with employees, in 2011 (employees)

The added value (gross at basic prices, at current prices) of the Region amounted to more than 60 billion Euro in 2011. It is mainly linked to tertiary activities (90%), represented primarily by financial activities and insurances, administrative services in the public sector, wholesale & retail trade and repair of motor vehicles.

Economic structure of the Brussels Region based on the gross added value at basic prices, at current prices, in 2011
Source : NBB Belgostat, according to ICN-INR. Splitted according to the NACE codes 2008.

Economic structure of the Brussels Region based on the gross added value at basic prices, at current prices, in 2011

Date de mise à jour: 29/05/2020