Data

Budget regime

2026 budget approved

Budget deficit 2026

957million EUR (down from ~1.2B in 2025)

Annual budget deficit (2025)

~1.241billion EUR

Provisional twelfths (5th ordinance)

Regime endedreplaced by 2026 budget (approved 5 March)

Consolidated gross debt

15.65billion EUR (x3 since 2016)

Annual interest charges

399million EUR (x4.4 since 2016)

Estimated real loss (cumulative inflation)

~6%over 2 years

Conclave Feb. 2026 (initial target)

~1billion EUR in savings over 3+ years (balanced budget by 2029)

S&P Rating

A / negative outlook

Credit lines withdrawn

~1billion EUR (Belfius 500M + ING 500M)

Agreement — Balanced budget

2029target return to balance

Agreement — Total fiscal effort

~1.2billion EUR (80% cuts / 20% revenue)

Agreement — Regional income tax

-1 point~268 EUR/year/worker

Agreement — Registration duties

800 000EUR exemption threshold (vs 600 000 EUR)

Agreement — Administrative reform

25 → 4regional structures (-20 to 30% costs)

N₂O cylinders collected (2025)

75tonnes

of which clandestine dumps

50+tonnes

Total cost (2025)

12million €

of which direct agency budget impact

9million €

Incinerator explosions (2025)

~500(−37% vs 2024)

Incinerator shutdowns (2025)

25(−29% vs 2024)

Illegal dumping fines (2025)

7,731+61% vs 2024

of which non-residents

36.7%2,837 out of 7,731

Fine amount (2025)

~12M EUR

EPR single-use plastic (annual funding)

51.4M EUR/year (26.7M€ in 2026)

EPR — municipal share

54%of EPR revenue

2030 CO2 reduction target

-47%vs 2005 (Fit for 55)

LEZ reinforced

Diesel Euro 5 bannedsince 01/01/2026 (~225,000 vehicles)

Renolution grants (backlog)

42.2million EUR unpaid

Climate Plan (new phases)

PACE being updated

PM2.5 (2024 annual mean)

7.4µg/m³ (WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³)

Air quality (urban background NO2)

~21µg/m3 (EU 2030 limit: 20)

PM2.5 decline since 2006

-49%

Premature deaths from air pollution

>930per year (~2.5/day)

Agreement — LEZ

Maintainedfuture phases unchanged, annual pass 350 EUR, fine reduced to 80 EUR

Agreement — Renolution

Replacedby zero-interest loans (200M EUR)

Agreement — Vivaqua-Hydria

Mergerrecapitalisation 180M EUR, Region at 49.99%

Agreement — Water merger support

30million EUR

Population with digital difficulties

~40%of Brussels households

Hotel VAT rate (from 1 March 2026)

12% (was 6%)

Hub.brussels — savings

3M EUR/year (6M€ by 2029)

Childcare coverage rate

~33%of children aged 0-3 (EU target: 33%)

School dropout

~15%of Brussels youth (18-24)

Jobseekers (Dec. 2025)

96 650

Unemployment rate (admin.)

15.4%+4.4% over 1 year

Youth unemployment

+3.4%year-on-year change

Excluded from benefits (Jan. 2026 – Jul. 2027)

42 000cumulative estimate

4th ONEM wave (art. 63 letters)

7,654letters BXL (end of right 01/07/2026)

5th ONEM wave (14/02/2026)

~36,000letters sent (end of right 07/2026 – 07/2027)

Total national exclusions (reform)

168,063of which 22.1% in Brussels (~37,000)

Unemployment rate (ILO)

13.1%vs 6.5% Belgium, 4.5% Flanders

Employment rate (20-64)

64.9%vs 72.7% Belgium, 76.5% Flanders

Jobseekers (Jan. 2026)

98,458+7.3% year-on-year

Jobseekers (Feb. 2026)

97,859+0.69 pt year-on-year

CPAS registrants (Feb. 2026)

20,79221.2% of total jobseekers, +17.5% year-on-year

Brussels bankruptcies (2025)

2,184+13.6% year-on-year

Structural employment rate (18-64, admin.)

~55%vs ~74% Flanders, ~65% Wallonia

Inactivity (18-64)

34.4%1 in 3 people (vs 21.7% Flanders)

Median gross salary (2026)

4,200€/month (vs 3,585 Flanders, 3,270 Wallonia)

Youth employment 18-24

~25%vs ~40% Flanders, ~30% Wallonia

Women's employment change (2006-2022)

0%stagnation (vs +20.6% Flanders, +11.9% Wallonia)

Childcare places

18per 100 children

Working-age population (15-64)

858 100

Employment rate (15-64)

58.9% (M 64.9% / F 53%)

Activity rate

66.8%

ILO unemployment

11.9% (vs 15.3% Actiris — different concepts)

Unemployment >2 years

41 652(45% of jobseekers)

Agreement — Employment rate target

70%by end of term

Agreement — Enhanced activation

Mandatory skills assessment

Agreement — Bilingualism

Mandatory FR/NL trainingif language skills absent

Bruxelles Formation — trained (2025)

15,909jobseekers trained (+1.5% vs 2024)

Bruxelles Formation — employment outcome

72%find employment after training (vs 75% in 2024)

Households waiting for social housing

62 234

Social housing stock

42 000units

Average social rent

412EUR/month

Average private market rent (all types)

1 376EUR/month (+3.7% year-on-year)

Average apartment rent

>1 300EUR/month (+5% year-on-year)

Overcrowding

31%of Brussels residents (vs 5.7% in Belgium)

Renter households

60%of Brussels households (vs 30% in Belgium)

Rent control

20% thresholdabove reference rent = presumption of abuse (since 01/05/2025)

Housing Fund credits

Ecoreno resumed, acquisition suspended

Median apartment price

274 550€ (+2.9% year-on-year)

Median house price

525 000€ (vs €280,000 in Belgium)

New rental contracts (2024)

-10%rental contracts via agencies (despite high demand)

Median apartment rent

1 213EUR/month (+28% since 2021)

Average studio rent

860EUR/month (+1.1%)

Average house rent

>2,000EUR/month

Cheapest commune

JetteEUR 1,036/month (all 19 communes >EUR 1,000)

Agreement — SLRB injection

400million EUR

Agreement — Public housing

1 000+over the parliamentary term

Agreement — Be Home

320EUR/month (vs 160 EUR, doubled)

Agreement — Renolution → zero-interest loans

200million EUR until 2029

Agreement — Neo (Heysel)

Relaunched

Energy-guzzling homes (F/G) for sale

32%in Brussels (vs 22% Flanders, 26% Wallonia)

Good labels (A/B/C) for sale

29%in Brussels (vs 66% Flanders, 38% Wallonia)

Regional structures before reform

25

Structures after reform (pillars)

4pillars (+ operational entities)

Targeted operational savings

-20 to -30%of operating costs

Pillars 1 & 2 — deadline

2026operational

COCOM — Provisional twelfths extended

Until 1 June 2026

Administration reform — decree 1st reading

5 March 2026cross-cutting shared administration

Federal SIAMU dotation

15.4million EUR (×3, was 5.7M€)

Metro 3 (new phases)

Frozen 10 years (agreement)

Metro 3 — Palais du Midi

Permit suspendedby the Council of State (18/12/2025)

Loi-Belliard Tunnel

161million EUR frozen (permits obtained)

Metro 3 (total cost, Court of Audit)

4.76billion EUR

Metro 3 (budget overrun)

+255%vs initial budget, horizon 2034+

Metro 3 — EIB loan

475million EUR (pre-metro conversion Albert–Gare du Nord)

STIB — Fare increase

+1.23%on 01/02/2026 (single ride: EUR 2.40, annual pass: EUR 560)

Good Move (new phases)

Replaced (agreement)

Congestion — hours lost/year

146hours (+6h23 vs 2024, +42h vs 2023)

Congestion — average speed

18.3km/h (lowest among Belgian cities)

Good Move at conclave

Planned endMR/Engagés announcement at conclave (10/02/2026)

LEZ fines contested

350EUR, reduction decided in the agreement

Villo! concession

Expires Sept. 2026no successor identified

Agreement — Good Move

Replacedby a new Regional Mobility Plan

Agreement — Metro 3

Frozen 10 yearsreplaced by a tram (loop)

Agreement — LEZ

Pass EUR 350/yearfine reduced to EUR 80, annual cap removed

Agreement — Car-free Sunday

2per year (vs 1 currently)

Agreement — Tram 15

MaintainedGare du Nord – Tour & Taxis

Agreement — Contested bollards

Removal

STP — car use primary schools

32.4%vs 35.5% in 2023 (−3.1 pp)

STP — student cycling (primary)

6.2%vs 3.4% in 2018 (×1.8)

STIB-MIVB — Schuman buses

Removed5 lines permanently rerouted via Maalbeek

Bara slab works

1 yeartrams 4/10/51/81 cut (27 Apr. 2026 → Apr. 2027)

Tunnels — renovation envelope

101.3million EUR (50M Beliris + 51.3M Region)

Traffic deaths — Brussels 2025

20killed (×2 vs 2022-2024: 10/year)

Taxibus PRM — grant

6.7M EUR/year (+2M, fleet renewal cost 4.5M unfundable)

Taxibus PRM — end of minibus service

End 2027fleet non-renewal confirmed

Cycling — usage growth (2025)

+15.3%during rush hours (record)

Cycling — safety perception

24%feel safe (vs 39% in 2023)

Cycling — accidents

33%of cyclists had an accident (past 2 years)

Good Move 2

ConfirmedVan den Brandt: new mobility plan pursues same objectives

Taxibus — trips 2025

202,091(×5 vs 2016, 85% taxi / 15% minibus)

Road maintenance — AI budget

+10M EUR additional (AI scan + night/weekend works)

Station security investment

10million EUR (Midi and Nord stations)

SIAMU staff reinforcement

2 phases

Federal SIAMU dotation

15.4million EUR/year (×3, was 5.7M€)

COCOM funding

Provisional twelfths

Social Integration Income recipients

~47 000persons

Homelessness policy

325 places securedMarie-Curie 185 + Evere 40 + Schaerbeek 60 + 40 semi-autonomous

Homeless persons counted

9 777

Homeless minors

1 678of which >1 000 sleeping rough regularly

Family shelter refusals

127persons/week (since Oct. 2025)

Children receiving family allowances

308 000+

Savings on family allowances

33million EUR

Risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE)

37.3%vs 16.5% Belgium

Unable to face an unexpected expense

38.3%vs 13.2% Flanders, 31.4% Wallonia

Population

1 255 795inhabitants (01/01/2025)

In-work poverty

9.6%vs 4.7% in Belgium

Unemployment reform cost for CPAS

>1billion EUR (cumulative estimate)

Unemployment exclusions in Brussels (2026 reform)

~8 000persons (2026-2027)

Excluded without identifiable income (projection)

42% of excluded persons <55 years (Brussels)

Agreement — Station security

10million EUR (Midi + Nord)

Agreement — Drug commissioner

Createdregional commissioner

Agreement — Kanal

60million EUR for opening

Agreement — Social services

Protectedhomelessness, addiction, support services

Average planning permit processing time

~18months (sector estimate)

CRMS — binding opinion

Removedreplaced by advisory opinion