On 1 January 2021, 54.0% of the inhabitants of Charleroi aged 20 to 64 were in work — 562nd of 565 municipalities (Statbel, Census 2021).
10 years earlier, in 2011, it was 49.7%: a rise of 4.3 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.
Charleroi is 17.7 percentage points below the Belgian figure (71.7%) and 9.8 percentage points below the figure for the province of Hainaut (63.8%).
Charleroi is in the arrondissement of Charleroi, province of Hainaut, Wallonia.
About these figures: source Statbel — Census 2021, reference period 1 January 2021; updated on .
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 20–64 (1 January 2021) | 54.0% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 116,041 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 62,715 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 21.4% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 82,349 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 64,470 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | +17,879 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 206,900 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €29,303 |
| Median house price (2025) | €158,000 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 140.3 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024) | 8.5% |
| Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026) | 37.4% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 40.4 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 16.6% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 7.6 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Charleroi, 54.0% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Charleroi ranks 562nd of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (54.0%), −17.7 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 49.7 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 54.0 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2021 (+4.3 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.