With an employment rate of 51.8% among those aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021), Molenbeek-Saint-Jean ranks 563rd of 565 municipalities, from high to low.
The employment rate was 5.5 percentage points higher in 2021 than in 2011 (46.3 → 51.8%). 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 Brussels-Capital Region 59.9% — Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is 19.9 percentage points below the Belgian figure.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean 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) | 51.8% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 56,149 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 29,081 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 22.9% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 34,860 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 29,737 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | +5,123 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 98,411 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €27,668 |
| Median house price (2025) | €350,000 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 100.8 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024) | 6.3% |
| Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026) | 48.6% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 36.1 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 29.5% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 9.2 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, 51.8% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean ranks 563rd of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (51.8%), −19.9 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 46.3 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 51.8 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.