Municipality · Province of West Flanders · Flanders
Gistel
French Ghistelles
About Gistel
Gistel is a municipality in the province of West Flanders in Flanders, Belgium. On 1 January 2026 it had 12,098 inhabitants on an area of 42.8 km², a population density of 282 inhabitants per km². That is lower than the average of 390 per km² in West Flanders and lower than the Belgian average of 387 per km².
By population, Gistel ranks 308th of Belgium’s 565 municipalities and 35th of the 62 municipalities in West Flanders. By area it ranks 282nd in Belgium.
The official language is Dutch.
Population of Gistel since 2016
Between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 the population of Gistel grew by 247 inhabitants (+2.1%), from 11,851 to 12,098. In the last year it changed by −19. The highest figure in this period was in 2023.
For population growth since 2016, Gistel ranks 423rd of 565. Over the same period the province of West Flanders changed by +4.6% and Belgium by +5.3%.
Neighbouring municipalities
Gistel borders 5 municipalities:
Postcodes in Gistel
| Postcode | Places |
|---|---|
| 8470 | Gistel |
Distances from Gistel
| To | km | miles |
|---|---|---|
| Ostend | 7 | 4 |
| Bruges | 22 | 14 |
| Kortrijk | 45 | 28 |
| Ghent | 55 | 34 |
| Antwerp | 100 | 62 |
| Brussels | 105 | 65 |
| Mons | 106 | 66 |
| Mechelen | 106 | 66 |
| Leuven | 127 | 79 |
| Charleroi | 133 | 82 |
| Namur | 156 | 97 |
| Hasselt | 169 | 105 |
| Liège | 194 | 121 |
| Arlon | 260 | 162 |
Straight line between the centres of the municipalities. By road it is usually 20–40% further. Calculate another distance →
Nearby municipalities
More about Gistel: Wikipedia.