In Ostend, 67.3% of those aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021; 490 municipalities have a higher employment rate.
Compared with 2011 (63.0%), the employment rate rose by 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.
That is 4.4 percentage points lower than the Belgian figure (71.7%) and 10.5 percentage points lower than the figure for the province of West Flanders (77.8%).
Ostend is in the arrondissement of Ostend, province of West Flanders, 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) | 67.3% |
| Inhabitants aged 20 to 64 (Census 2021) | 38,562 |
| Employed inhabitants aged 20 to 64 | 25,937 |
| Unemployment rate, aged 15–64 | 10.4% |
| Jobs in the municipality, held by residents of Belgium | 31,764 |
| Employed inhabitants (all ages) | 26,637 |
| Commuting balance (jobs minus employed inhabitants) | +5,127 |
| Population (1 January 2026) | 73,000 inhabitants |
| Average income (income year 2023 · tax year 2024) | €35,405 |
| Median house price (2025) | €305,000 |
| Crime figures (2025) | 107.9 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Additional municipal tax on personal income tax (tax year 2024) | 6.5% |
| Municipal tax on property, as a % of the cadastral income (tax year 2026) | 50.0% |
| Average age (1 January 2026) | 47.7 years |
| Inhabitants with a non-Belgian nationality (1 January 2026) | 12.6% |
| Injury accidents per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 inhabitants |
| Jobseekers on unemployment benefit (2025) | 5.0 per 100 inh. 18–64 |
Reference date: 1 January 2021 · Source: Statbel — Census 2021
In Ostend, 67.3% of the inhabitants aged 20 to 64 were in work on 1 January 2021 (Statbel, Census 2021: administrative data, not a survey).
Ostend ranks 491st of 565 municipalities for employment rate 20–64 (%) (67.3%), −4.4 percentage points compared with the Belgian figure (71.7%).
From 63.0 per cent of those aged 20 to 64 in 2011 to 67.3 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.