Employment in Antwerp 2021

In Antwerp, 67.5% of those aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021; 487 municipalities have a higher employment rate.

Compared with 2011 (61.9%), the employment rate rose by 5.6 percentage points. Statbel: in 2011 the number of employees of European and international institutions was underestimated; where many of them live, the comparison with 2011 overstates the rise.

That is 4.2 percentage points lower than the Belgian figure (71.7%) and 7.2 percentage points lower than the figure for the province of Antwerp (74.7%).

Antwerp is in the arrondissement of Antwerp, province of Antwerp, Flanders.

About these figures: source Statbel — Census 2021, reference period 1 January 2021; updated on .

Key figures

IndicatorValue
Employment rate, aged 20–64 (1 January 2021)67.5%
Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021)318,298
Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64214,955
Unemployment rate, aged 15–6411.6%
Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium287,827
Employed inhabitants (all ages)220,730
Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants)+67,097
Population (1 January 2026)565,615 inhabitants
Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024)€35,450
Median house price (2025)€369,000
Crime figures (2025)109.2 per 1,000 inhabitants
Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024)7.0%
Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026)33.8%
Average age (1 January 2026)39.0 years
Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026)23.2%
Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025)5.0 per 1,000 inhabitants
Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025)5.0 per 100 inh. 18–64

Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021

Frequently asked questions

How many inhabitants of Antwerp are in work?

In Antwerp, 67.5% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).

How does Antwerp compare with Belgium?

Antwerp ranks 488th of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (67.5%), −4.2 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).

Change 2011–2021

From 61.9 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 67.5 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2021 (+5.6 percentage points).

Statbel: in 2011 the number of employees of European and international institutions was underestimated; where many of them live, the comparison with 2011 overstates the rise.