Belgians' average income rose above 20,000-euros a year in 2021. The average net taxable income per inhabitant reached 20,357 euros. That’s according to figures from government’s statistics office Statbel, calculated on the basis of personal income tax returns. Sint-Martens-Latem (East Flanders) remains the municipality with the highest incomes, Sint-Joost-ten-Node in Brussels has the lowest.
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Lowest incomes in Brussels, highest in the Brabants and East Flanders
Colin Clapson
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At 21,776 euros a year, the average income of Fleming is 7.0 per cent above the national average. Residents of the Walloon and Brussels Capital Regions have to make do with significantly lower financial resources. The average income of the Walloon citizen is 5.7 per cent below the Belgian figure, while a Brussels resident has to make do with 21.1 per cent less on average.
As in previous years, also in in 2021 the province of Flemish Brabant is the province with the highest average income per inhabitant. That income amounted to 23,527 euros per head. In Walloon Brabant too, the average income per inhabitant is above the 23,000-euro mark at 23,442 euros. East Flanders completes the top three with an annual average income per inhabitant of 22,073 euros.
Municipalities with highest incomes
With an average per capita income of 33,249 euros, Sint-Martens-Latem, in East Flanders, is the municipality with the highest incomes. An inhabitant of this municipality has an income that is, on average, 63.3 per cent higher than the national average. This is followed by Keerbergen (30,516 euros) and Knokke-Heist (29,961 euros).
At the other end of the spectrum, we mainly find Brussels municipalities. With an average of 11,082 euros, Sint-Joost-ten-Node is the Belgian municipality with the lowest incomes.
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Farciennes, Dison, Koekelberg and Schaarbeek, are the six other municipalities where the average income per inhabitant is at least 30 per cent below the national average. The West Flemish town of Mesen has the lowest incomes in Flanders with an average of 16,016 euros.