With an employment rate of 80.7% among those aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021), Merchtem ranks 74th of 565 municipalities, from high to low.
The employment rate was 3.9 percentage points higher in 2021 than in 2011 (76.8 → 80.7%). 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 Flemish Brabant 77.7% — Merchtem is 9.0 percentage points above the Belgian figure.
Merchtem is in the arrondissement of Halle-Vilvoorde, province of Flemish Brabant, Flanders.
About these figures: source Statbel — Census 2021, reference period 1 January 2021; updated on .
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 20–64 (1 January 2021) | 80.7% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 9,953 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 8,028 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 3.9% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 3,867 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 8,230 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | −4,363 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 18,467 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €46,709 |
| Median house price (2025) | €397,500 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 47.6 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024) | 7.1% |
| Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026) | 33.8% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 42.8 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 7.4% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 1.8 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Merchtem, 80.7% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Merchtem ranks 74th of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (80.7%), +9.0 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 76.8 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 80.7 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2021 (+3.9 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.