Housing characteristics

The Census 2021 in a nutshell

The Census 2021 is a snapshot of the population living in Belgium on 1 January 2021. It provides a wide range of figures on housing and demographic, socio-economic and educational characteristics of the citizens. The objective of the Census is twofold: to comply with the European regulation[1] and to produce statistics to address national specific needs (public services, international organizations, researchers, enterprises and private individuals).

Previously based on an exhaustive survey of all citizens, since 2011 the Census has been based exclusively on the use of administrative databases.

Definitions

The various statistical units

Population

The population taken into account for the Census 2021 is the residential population, as registered in the National Register of Natural Persons (RNPP) on 1 January 2021. The Belgian population includes Belgians and non-Belgians who have been allowed or authorised to settle or to stay in Belgium but does not include non-Belgians living on the territory for less than three months, asylum seekers and non-Belgians in an illegal situation[2].

Private households

This group includes people living alone in a dwelling and groups of several people living in the same dwelling and providing themselves with essentials for living.

Family nuclei

A family nucleus is defined as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child.

Living quarters

Living quarters refer to all quarters used as the usual residence of one or several persons.

Conventional dwellings

Conventional dwellings are separate units (surrounded by walls and covered by a roof) that are independent (with a direct access from the street or a staircase, passage) and designed to be used as a permanent dwelling.

Occupied conventional dwellings

Occupied conventional dwellings are conventional dwellings used as the usual residence of one or several private households.

Variables and their description

Sex

This variable is used to distinguish men from women.

Age

The age reached in completed years of age on 1 January 2021.

Place of usual residence

The place of residence is that registered in the National Register on 1 January 2021. So this is the place of legal residence.

The Belgian municipalities have changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons shown on this website, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021.

Locality

A locality is defined as a distinct population cluster, that is an area defined by population living in neighbouring or contiguous buildings. This area constitutes a group of buildings, none of which is separated from its nearest neighbour by more than 200 meters.

The Belgian municipalities have changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons shown on this website, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021.

Number of occupants

This figure is the number of people for whom the housing unit is the legal residence at the time of the census.

Number of rooms of housing units

A “room” is defined as a space in a housing unit enclosed by walls reaching from the floor to the ceiling or roof, of a size large enough to hold a bed for an adult (4 square metres at least) and at least 2 metres high over the major area of the ceiling.

Density standard

This variable relates the number of rooms to the number of occupants.

Bathing facilities

This variable distinguishes dwellings with a fixed bath or shower from those without.

Type of heating

This variable distinguishes dwellings with central heating from those without.

Remark

The comparison with the previous Census requires some caution: this publication is based on the Belgian population and the Census 2011 has as reference the European definition of the population.

Information on the difference between the Belgian population and the Census 2011 population.


[1] COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2017/543 of 22 March 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns.

[2]Information on the difference between the Belgian population and the Census 2011 population.