Machelen: map, population and postcodes

About Machelen

Machelen is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant in Flanders, Belgium. On 1 January 2026 it had 17,115 inhabitants on an area of 11.5 km², a population density of 1,488 inhabitants per km². That is higher than the average of 571 per km² in Flemish Brabant and higher than the Belgian average of 387 per km².

By population, Machelen ranks 215th of Belgium’s 565 municipalities and 26th of the 63 municipalities in Flemish Brabant. By area it ranks 524th in Belgium.

The official language is Dutch.

Population of Machelen since 2016

Population on 1 January, 2016–2026. The bars start above zero to make the change visible. Source: Statbel.

Between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 the population of Machelen grew by 2,351 inhabitants (+15.9%), from 14,764 to 17,115. In the last year it changed by +331.

For population growth since 2016, Machelen ranks 6th of 565. Over the same period the province of Flemish Brabant changed by +7.9% and Belgium by +5.3%.