With an employment rate of 67.3% among those aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021), Merbes-le-Château ranks 490th of 565 municipalities, from high to low.
The employment rate was 5.5 percentage points higher in 2021 than in 2011 (61.8 → 67.3%). 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.
For comparison: Belgium 71.7%, the province of Hainaut 63.8% — Merbes-le-Château is 4.4 percentage points below the Belgian figure.
Merbes-le-Château is in the arrondissement of Thuin, 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) | 67.3% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 2,476 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 1,666 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 11.7% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 518 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 1,722 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | −1,204 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 4,193 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €36,128 |
| Median house price (2025) | €222,500 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 48.9 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024) | 8.1% |
| Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026) | 32.5% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 42.0 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 4.7% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 5.2 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Merbes-le-Château, 67.3% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Merbes-le-Château ranks 490th of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (67.3%), −4.4 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 61.8 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 67.3 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2021 (+5.5 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.