Où va ma
Belgiquebeta

Province · closed 24/04/2026

West Flanders

Compare 2 places: West Flanders and…

77 210provisional

-1,0 % in 2025 compared with 2024 (78 014)

2025: first publication (closed 24/04/2026), provisional figures. Late reports are added in later bulletins, which revise the figures upwards. The 2025/2024 change may therefore overstate the fall. Learn more

62,69 offences per 1,000 inhab. in 2025 (pop. 1 231 585 on 1/1/2025)

Source: rapport_2025_trim4_prov_West_Vlaanderen_fr.pdf · 158 pages

Local executive

  • Governor: Carl Decaluwé - appointed, not elected

    Since 02/12/2024 · In office on 08/10/2026 · source (official source)

  • Majority of the deputatie: CD&V / N-VA / Vooruit

    Derived from the lists of the executive members · In office on 08/10/2026 · source (official source)

Next elections: municipal and provincial elections: 13/10/2030 · regional, federal and European elections: 2029.

Profile

Official sources (Statbel), edition shown on each line. Counts: somme des communes de la province (sums, not an average of percentages).

Population on 1 January 2026
1 235 671

Statbel, 1/1/2026

Foreign nationals (non-Belgian nationality)
7,6 %94 046 out of 1 235 671
2010 : 2,8 % · 2026 : 7,6 %The vertical axis does not start at 0.
Annual series
1 JanuaryForeign nationalsShare
201033 0122,8 %
201135 7683,1 %
201239 3073,4 %
201341 7563,6 %
201443 6853,7 %
201547 3664,0 %
201651 2154,3 %
201756 0774,7 %
201861 0285,1 %
201965 5525,5 %
202069 8755,8 %
202172 1186,0 %
202275 7306,3 %
202385 1927,0 %
202489 0847,3 %
202592 5397,5 %
202694 0467,6 %

Statbel, 1/1/2026, series 2010-2026

Non-Belgians by group of nationality of origin
  • Neighbouring countries*1,1 %(13 834)
  • EU27 excluding neighbouring countries2,7 %(33 471)
  • Non-EU273,8 %(46 741)

* Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom (Statbel grouping).

Statbel, 1/1/2026, share of the population

Origin (indicator separate from nationality)
  • Belgians of Belgian origin82,3 %(1 017 279)
  • Belgians of foreign origin10,1 %(124 346)
  • Non-Belgians7,6 %(94 046)

Statbel, 1/1/2026

Age
  • 0-17 years17,7 %(218 645)
  • 18-64 years57,1 %(704 981)
  • 65 and over25,3 %(312 045)

Statbel, 1/1/2026

Area and density

3 197 km² · 385 inhab./km²

Statbel, 1/1/2025

Median income per tax return

31 169 €total net taxable income, 743 178 returns

Statbel, income 2023

Definitions
  • « Foreign national » = person with a non-Belgian nationality in the national register, on 1 January. Naturalised Belgians or Belgians of foreign origin are counted as Belgians.
  • Origin (Statbel): based on current nationality, the person's first registered nationality and that of their parents. Official categories: Belgian of Belgian origin, Belgian of foreign origin, non-Belgian.
  • Group of nationality of origin: Statbel grouping into neighbouring countries, EU27 excluding neighbouring countries, and non-EU27; this is not a strict EU / non-EU split (the United Kingdom is classed as a neighbouring country).
  • Merged or renumbered municipalities: no reconstructed series before the date of the new code (same rule as for the reference population).
  • These figures are not cross-referenced with any crime statistics.

Main categories

Click a category to open the annual series (2000, 2015-2025; 2025 provisional).

Category2025prov.Change 2025/20242000
77 210-1,0 %88 194
18 663-5,9 %38 512
8 741+36,7 %-
7 061-0,7 %5 997
6 731-2,9 %5 869
6 661-2,0 %12 045
5 664+2,5 %3 707
3 176-1,7 %1 863
2 966-4,9 %1 595
2 449-8,9 %2 330
2 403+5,8 %201
2 367-15,6 %989
2 004-19,0 %2 055
1 695-6,0 %863
1 668-5,4 %334
1 229-4,5 %658
1 143-4,4 %1 582
1 015-10,9 %2 767
972-5,0 %1 792
751-2,7 %544
366-15,9 %576
218+4,8 %28
190-4,5 %508
153-11,6 %35
114-2,6 %60
86-23,9 %65
69-4,2 %24
63+96,9 %364
47-16,1 %178
40-7,0 %140
36+71,4 %11
35+29,6 %88
28-15,2 %-
16+77,8 %50
12+20,0 %-
11-31,3 %67
10-16,7 %2 562
9-25,0 %45
80,0 %-
5-16,7 %-
2+100,0 %-
1--
--14
--10

Change 2025/2024: change in 2025 compared with 2024 (e.g. −10 % = 2025 is 10 % lower than 2024, not the reverse).

2025 provisional: first publication. Reports registered late are added in later bulletins, which revise the figures upwards, so the 2025/2024 fall may be overstated.

Source of figures: police crime statistics bulletin, Q4 2025 (closed 24/04/2026). Click a category to show the full available annual series.

Breakdown

PlaceType2025 prov.Change 2025/2024
West FlandersDistrict77 210-1,0 %
BruggeMunicipality10 569+0,2 %
PZ BRUGGEPolice zone10 569+0,2 %
VLASPolice zone8 065-12,1 %
OostendeMunicipality7 874+3,1 %
PZ OOSTENDEPolice zone7 874+3,1 %
POLITIEZONE RIHOPolice zone7 447-2,9 %
KortrijkMunicipality7 252-11,1 %
POLITIEZONE ARRO IEPERPolice zone6 666+2,7 %
RoeselareMunicipality5 252-1,9 %
GRENSLEIEPolice zone4 174-2,1 %
MIRAPolice zone3 971-1,8 %
WESTKUSTPolice zone3 588+0,6 %
PZ DAMME/KNOKKE-HEISTPolice zone3 335+3,8 %
Knokke-HeistMunicipality2 982+6,5 %
POLITIEZONE KOUTERPolice zone2 977+7,6 %
REGIO TIELTPolice zone2 861-0,2 %
PZ BLANKENBERGE/ZUIENKERKEPolice zone2 814+6,7 %
BlankenbergeMunicipality2 637+4,8 %
MenenMunicipality2 421-7,2 %
POLITIEZONE HET HOUTSCHEPolice zone2 276+5,9 %
IeperMunicipality2 268-0,7 %
GAVERSPolice zone2 212+0,4 %
PZ BREDENE/DE HAANPolice zone2 081-5,7 %
WaregemMunicipality2 021-3,0 %
POLDERPolice zone1 953-10,2 %
IzegemMunicipality1 833-5,3 %
HarelbekeMunicipality1 688-0,9 %
MiddelkerkeMunicipality1 645-7,8 %
POLITIEZONE MIDDELKERKEPolice zone1 645-7,8 %
MIDOWPolice zone1 537+3,4 %
KoksijdeMunicipality1 459-3,8 %
WevelgemMunicipality1 369+0,6 %
BredeneMunicipality1 265-7,3 %
WervikMunicipality1 263+13,2 %
TieltMunicipality1 215+4,9 %
POLITIEZONE SPOORKINPolice zone1 165+3,6 %
De PanneMunicipality1 120+8,3 %
PoperingeMunicipality1 054+3,7 %
NieuwpoortMunicipality1 009-0,8 %
TorhoutMunicipality939-1,2 %
ZwevegemMunicipality919+2,2 %
VeurneMunicipality846+3,2 %
OostkampMunicipality819-4,9 %
De HaanMunicipality816-3,0 %
ZedelgemMunicipality731+9,9 %
BeernemMunicipality726+16,3 %
DiksmuideMunicipality697-13,8 %
KuurneMunicipality652-19,9 %
WingeneMunicipality617-17,4 %
IchtegemMunicipality560+15,5 %
GistelMunicipality546+14,0 %
IngelmunsterMunicipality536-2,2 %
DeerlijkMunicipality524+4,8 %
JabbekeMunicipality478+3,0 %
KortemarkMunicipality474-12,9 %
AnzegemMunicipality469+0,4 %
MoorsledeMunicipality463+5,9 %
HouthulstMunicipality458+10,6 %
OudenburgMunicipality454+17,0 %
AvelgemMunicipality443-6,7 %
StadenMunicipality407-8,5 %
WielsbekeMunicipality405+8,9 %
LichterveldeMunicipality402+21,8 %
ZonnebekeMunicipality389-4,4 %
LedegemMunicipality384+30,6 %
ArdooieMunicipality369-8,2 %
HoogledeMunicipality362-4,7 %
HeuvellandMunicipality359-6,0 %
DammeMunicipality353-14,5 %
OostrozebekeMunicipality349+6,7 %
KoekelareMunicipality324-20,6 %
Langemark-PoelkapelleMunicipality293+22,1 %
PittemMunicipality258+12,2 %
DentergemMunicipality247+3,3 %
AlveringemMunicipality2090,0 %
ZuienkerkeMunicipality177+46,3 %
LendeledeMunicipality161-19,9 %
Espierres-HelchinMunicipality119+0,8 %
VleterenMunicipality112+15,5 %
Lo-ReningeMunicipality110+15,8 %
MessinesMunicipality58-15,9 %

Crime types and phenomena, 2025