Municipality · Province of Antwerp · Flanders
Balen
About Balen
Balen is a municipality in the province of Antwerp in Flanders, Belgium. On 1 January 2026 it had 23,916 inhabitants on an area of 73.0 km², a population density of 328 inhabitants per km². That is lower than the average of 677 per km² in Antwerp and lower than the Belgian average of 387 per km².
By population, Balen ranks 131st of Belgium’s 565 municipalities and 17th of the 67 municipalities in Antwerp. By area it ranks 140th in Belgium.
The official language is Dutch.
Population of Balen since 2016
Between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 the population of Balen grew by 1,748 inhabitants (+7.9%), from 22,168 to 23,916. In the last year it changed by +139.
For population growth since 2016, Balen ranks 110th of 565. Over the same period the province of Antwerp changed by +7.0% and Belgium by +5.3%.
Neighbouring municipalities
Balen borders 6 municipalities:
Distances from Balen
| To | km | miles |
|---|---|---|
| Hasselt | 29 | 18 |
| Leuven | 45 | 28 |
| Mechelen | 53 | 33 |
| Antwerp | 58 | 36 |
| Brussels | 65 | 40 |
| Liège | 65 | 41 |
| Namur | 81 | 50 |
| Charleroi | 97 | 61 |
| Ghent | 102 | 63 |
| Mons | 116 | 72 |
| Bruges | 138 | 85 |
| Kortrijk | 140 | 87 |
| Ostend | 158 | 98 |
| Arlon | 171 | 106 |
Straight line between the centres of the municipalities. By road it is usually 20–40% further. Calculate another distance →
Nearby municipalities
More about Balen: Wikipedia.