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The statistical sector: a little-known subdivision of the municipality

The statistical sector is the most detailed territorial level Statistics Belgium uses for its statistics and publications.

Belgium was divided into statistical sectors for the first time in 1970, as a result of the General Population and Housing Census. This helped create a very detailed image of the socio-economic reality of municipalities and allowed a more thorough registration of housing characteristics. By definition, statistical sectors can never comprise more than one municipality and every part of its territory can belong to only one statistical sector.

Since the 1981 census this subdivision has guaranteed data continuity and comparability over time.

In 2001 the division in statistical sectors of 1991 was updated to incorporate the increase in residential areas, major infrastructure updates and changes in municipality boundaries. The number of sectors amounted to 19,781. The sectors are available in vector digital format.

Originally only data from ten-yearly censuses were created at statistical sector level, but in the meantime annual population statistics and income statistics have also become available at this level.

This new publication aims to present an overview of the statistical sectors, of the history of their development, of the products that are derived from them and of their application possibilities.

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