On 1 January 2021, 61.4% of the inhabitants of Forest aged 20 to 64 were in work — 535th of 565 municipalities (Statbel, Census 2021).
10 years earlier, in 2011, it was 55.4%: a rise of 6.0 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.
Forest is 10.3 percentage points below the Belgian figure (71.7%) and 1.5 percentage points above the figure for the Brussels-Capital Region (59.9%).
Forest is in the Brussels-Capital Region (arrondissement of Brussels-Capital).
About these figures: source Statbel — Census 2021, reference period 1 January 2021; updated on .
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 20–64 (1 January 2021) | 61.4% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 35,177 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 21,615 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 17.7% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 20,122 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 22,008 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | −1,886 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 58,904 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €34,032 |
| Median house price (2025) | €640,000 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 83.5 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) | 49.9% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 38.6 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 35.8% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 9.6 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Forest, 61.4% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Forest ranks 535th of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (61.4%), −10.3 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 55.4 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 61.4 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2021 (+6.0 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.