Municipality · Province of Antwerp · Flanders
Essen
About Essen
Essen is a municipality in the province of Antwerp in Flanders, Belgium. On 1 January 2026 it had 19,671 inhabitants on an area of 47.6 km², a population density of 414 inhabitants per km². That is lower than the average of 677 per km² in Antwerp and close to the Belgian average of 387 per km².
By population, Essen ranks 180th of Belgium’s 565 municipalities and 31st of the 67 municipalities in Antwerp. By area it ranks 245th in Belgium.
The official language is Dutch.
Population of Essen since 2016
Between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 the population of Essen grew by 1,056 inhabitants (+5.7%), from 18,615 to 19,671. In the last year it changed by +65.
For population growth since 2016, Essen ranks 229th of 565. Over the same period the province of Antwerp changed by +7.0% and Belgium by +5.3%.
Neighbouring municipalities
Essen borders 1 municipality:
Postcodes in Essen
| Postcode | Places |
|---|---|
| 2910 | Essen |
Distances from Essen
| To | km | miles |
|---|---|---|
| Antwerp | 22 | 14 |
| Mechelen | 47 | 29 |
| Brussels | 64 | 40 |
| Leuven | 65 | 41 |
| Ghent | 66 | 41 |
| Hasselt | 85 | 53 |
| Bruges | 90 | 56 |
| Ostend | 110 | 69 |
| Kortrijk | 111 | 69 |
| Namur | 114 | 71 |
| Charleroi | 114 | 71 |
| Mons | 116 | 72 |
| Liège | 120 | 75 |
| Arlon | 218 | 136 |
Straight line between the centres of the municipalities. By road it is usually 20–40% further. Calculate another distance →
Nearby municipalities
More about Essen: Wikipedia.