Province · Flanders

West Flanders

Dutch West-Vlaanderen · French Flandre-Occidentale

Knokke-HeistBrakelHorebekeMaarkedalRonseMesenComines-WarnetonDe HaanZwalmOudenaardeKluisbergenBredeneEekloBlankenbergeBrugesZulteSint-Martens-LatemDeinzeAalterGavereGhentWielsbekeWaregemHoogledeStadenZonnebekeRoeselareLangemark-PoelkapelleKruisemWortegem-PetegemZwevegemHarelbekeDeerlijkKuurneAnzegemAvelgemSpiere-HelkijnKortrijkGistelOostrozebekeIngelmunsterDentergemYpresHeuvellandAssenedeKoekelareWervikMoorsledeMiddelkerkeOstendDiksmuideNieuwpoortHouthulstDammeMaldegemTieltTorhoutLedegemWevelgemMenenIzegemLendeledePittemArdooieLievegemKaprijkeSint-LaureinsEvergemFlobecqIchtegemKortemarkZuienkerkeWingeneLichterveldeOostkampOudenburgJabbekeZedelgemBeernemKoksijdeDe PanneVeurnePoperingeAlveringemVleterenLo-ReningeMouscronEllezellesFrasnes-lez-AnvaingTournaiEstaimpuisPecqCellesMont-de-l'EnclusAthNazareth-De PinteMerelbeke-MelleBrugesKortrijkOstendRoeselareWaregemYpresMenenKnokke-HeistWevelgemTieltOostkampTorhoutKoksijdeWingeneBlankenbergeMiddelkerkePoperingeWervikBredeneDiksmuideBeernemAnzegemJabbekeIchtegemKuurneKortemark
The 62 municipalities of West Flanders; Bruges highlighted. Click one to open it.

About West Flanders

West Flanders is one of the five provinces of Flanders, with 1,235,671 inhabitants on 3,169 km² on 1 January 2026, or 10.4% of Belgium’s population. Its capital is Bruges. The population density of 390 inhabitants per km² is close to the Belgian average of 387.

The largest municipality is Bruges with 120,458 inhabitants; the smallest by population is Mesen with 1,068.

Population of West Flanders since 2016

1 January 2016: 1,181,82820161,181,8281 January 2017: 1,186,53220171 January 2018: 1,191,05920181 January 2019: 1,195,79620191 January 2020: 1,200,94520201 January 2021: 1,203,31220211 January 2022: 1,209,01120221 January 2023: 1,220,02620231 January 2024: 1,226,37520241 January 2025: 1,231,58520251 January 2026: 1,235,67120261,235,671
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 West Flanders grew by 53,843 inhabitants (+4.6%), from 1,181,828 to 1,235,671. In the last year it changed by +4,086.

Belgium as a whole changed by +5.3% over the same period. The fastest-growing municipality in West Flanders was Oudenburg (+12.6%).

All municipalities in West Flanders

MunicipalityProvincePopulationArea km²Per km²
BrugesWest Flanders120,458139.2865
KortrijkWest Flanders81,52380.71,010
OstendWest Flanders73,00038.01,921
RoeselareWest Flanders67,69760.31,122
WaregemWest Flanders40,73744.6913
YpresWest Flanders35,629131.4271
MenenWest Flanders34,64033.11,047
Knokke-HeistWest Flanders32,16356.9566
WevelgemWest Flanders32,08939.1820
TieltWest Flanders31,97398.3325
HarelbekeWest Flanders30,60529.41,042
IzegemWest Flanders29,44425.61,149
ZwevegemWest Flanders26,03563.6409
OostkampWest Flanders24,10280.1301
ZedelgemWest Flanders23,74760.6392
TorhoutWest Flanders21,15445.4466
KoksijdeWest Flanders21,07245.0468
WingeneWest Flanders20,91998.9211
BlankenbergeWest Flanders20,74117.81,168
MiddelkerkeWest Flanders20,06975.7265
PoperingeWest Flanders19,890120.5165
WervikWest Flanders19,23443.8439
BredeneWest Flanders18,05713.21,371
DiksmuideWest Flanders17,386150.7115
BeernemWest Flanders16,33472.6225
AnzegemWest Flanders15,29442.4361
JabbekeWest Flanders14,99053.5280
IchtegemWest Flanders14,68145.8321
KuurneWest Flanders14,30810.11,414
KortemarkWest Flanders13,08455.4236
ZonnebekeWest Flanders12,78468.1188
VeurneWest Flanders12,74997.2131
DeerlijkWest Flanders12,72717.0750
De HaanWest Flanders12,68242.4299
GistelWest Flanders12,09842.8282
StadenWest Flanders11,75946.9251
IngelmunsterWest Flanders11,66316.5708
MoorsledeWest Flanders11,53135.5325
NieuwpoortWest Flanders11,43131.9358
DammeWest Flanders11,32190.5125
De PanneWest Flanders10,82924.3446
HouthulstWest Flanders10,54356.0188
OudenburgWest Flanders10,44935.6293
AvelgemWest Flanders10,42622.1471
WielsbekeWest Flanders10,28221.9469
HoogledeWest Flanders10,24838.1269
LedegemWest Flanders9,79724.9394
ArdooieWest Flanders9,54635.0273
LichterveldeWest Flanders9,45026.4359
KoekelareWest Flanders8,88639.4225
DentergemWest Flanders8,82426.1338
Langemark-PoelkapelleWest Flanders8,25853.1155
HeuvellandWest Flanders8,04994.885
OostrozebekeWest Flanders7,97216.7477
PittemWest Flanders7,00334.7202
LendeledeWest Flanders5,86313.3441
AlveringemWest Flanders4,96780.961
VleterenWest Flanders3,58138.593
Lo-ReningeWest Flanders3,13863.649
ZuienkerkeWest Flanders2,64149.054
Spiere-HelkijnWest Flanders2,05110.8190
MesenWest Flanders1,0683.6297

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