City of Brussels

The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region. It is also the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region (from which it is separate), and Belgium itself. This important city is where many of the European Union’s main offices are found, in its European Quarter.

The city sits inside the Pentagon area and is close to places like the old parts of Haren, Laeken, and Neder-Over-Heembeek. It is also near nice spots such as the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan and the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos park. These places reach into parts of Flanders.

As of January 1, 2024, the City of Brussels had 196,828 people living there. It covers 33.09 km² (12.78 sq mi) and has a population density of 5,949 people per km² (15,410 per sq mi). The city is legally bilingual, with people speaking both French and Dutch, just like in the other parts of Brussels.

Territorial history

Main articles: Neighbourhoods in Brussels and Pentagon (Brussels)

The City of Brussels began inside the old city walls, now called the Small Ring. Over time, the city grew and took in nearby villages.

In 1838, a new area called the Leopold Quarter was added to the east. In 1864, the city added land for Avenue Louise and the Bois de la Cambre park after talks with nearby towns. In 1921, the city also added Haren, Laeken, and Neder-Over-Heembeek to its area.

Demographics

Historical population

As of January 1, 2024, the City of Brussels had 196,828 people living there. The city covers an area of 33.09 km² (12.78 sq mi), so many people live in a small space.

Foreign population

The City of Brussels has many people from other countries. There are more people from outside Europe than from Belgium itself. Like nearby areas such as Ixelles, Etterbeek, and Schaerbeek, the city also has many people from Moroccan backgrounds.

As of 2023, more than half of the people in Brussels were born to parents from outside Europe, mostly from Morocco, India, and Congo. About a quarter are from Europe but not Belgium, and around 17% are from Belgian families. Many people who moved to Brussels have become Belgian citizens.

The city has large groups of people from different countries, each with more than 1,000 members as of January 1, 2020.

France	9,049
Morocco	7,431
Romania	7,057
Italy	5,175
Spain	4,690
Poland	2,777
Portugal	1,832
Greece	1,758
Netherlands	1,704
India	1,591
Bulgaria	1,573
Germany	1,565
DR Congo	1,511
Turkey	1,389
Guinea	1,309
United Kingdom	1,177

Politics

See also: List of mayors of the City of Brussels

Brussels, like other cities in Belgium, has a mayor. This mayor is different from the leaders of the larger Brussels-Capital Region. In 2018, people voted for their city council. Philippe Close is the current mayor. He works with other groups including Ecolo, Groen, DéFI, and Forward.

Environmental policy

In 2022, Brussels was named one of the cities that is growing greener very quickly. Before, the city had a lot of traffic and tall buildings. Now, city leaders have a plan to help Brussels become more sustainable. The plan talks about using resources wisely, creating a circular economy, and keeping the air clean with a low-carbon economy. The city wants to become a “10-minute city”, meaning important places like shops and parks should be close enough to reach in less than 10 minutes. There are also plans to add more green spaces. People living in Brussels will help make decisions, and everyone should have a good quality of life.

City of Brussels local election – 14 October 2018

Party
		Votes	%	Swing (pp)	Elected 2018	Change
	PS	19,997	28.38	0.74	17 / 49 (35%)	1
	Ecolo - Groen	11,847	16.81	4.42	9 / 49 (18%)	2
	MR - Open Vld	9,772	13.87	4.02	7 / 49 (14%)	3
	PVDA-PTB	8,159	11.58	10.02	6 / 49 (12%)	6
	cdH - CD&V	6,543	9.29	8.72	5 / 49 (10%)	5
	DéFI	5,317	7.55	0.08	3 / 49 (6%)
	N-VA	2,606	3.70	0.64	1 / 49 (2%)
	Vooruit (Change Brussels)	2,269	3.22	New	1 / 49 (2%)	1
	Vlaams Belang	1,138	1.61	0.59	0 / 49 (0%)	-
	ISLAM	1,125	1.60	1.30	0 / 49 (0%)	-
	Others	1,694	2.40	1.56	0 / 49 (0%)	-

Culture

Further information: Culture of Brussels

The City of Brussels is very important for culture. It is the largest part of the Brussels-Capital Region and the heart of Belgium's government. Many big meetings and important buildings are here, especially in an area called the European Quarter. The city has old parts near the Pentagon shape and nearby areas like Haren, Laeken, and Neder-Over-Heembeek, along with beautiful parks such as Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos.

Honorary citizens

The City of Brussels has given honorary citizenship to some important people.

Symbols

Main article: Symbols of Brussels

Heraldry

Vexillology

Previous versions
	The Original arms were plain Gules. From the 16th century on, it was customary to put the figure of the city seal representing Saint Michael, first as a shadow then in a more elaborate form. Note: many of the arms of the Seven Noble Houses of Brussels were variants of these arms.
	1730 arms
	Napoleonic arms

Flag of the City of Brussels
	Description: Green and red with at its centre Saint Michael slaying the dragon (Devil). Symbolism: Saint Michael is the city's patron saint. See: Saint Michael slaying the Devil