Forest: population and statistics
Forest has a population of 58,904 (2026) across 6.3 km², or 9,365 people per km². It ranks 29 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.9% between 2016 and 2026.
- 58,904 residents
- 6.3 km²
- 9,365 people/km²
- 27 m
Key points
Among the 19 municipalities in Brussels-Capital, Forest ranks No. 8 by population.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 30.7% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,043 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Buildings built before 1946”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Median selling price of houses”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Cars per household”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 881 football pitches.
- Its population density is 24.2 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Uccle, 1.4 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Anderlecht (129,600 residents), 3.2 km away.
Forest in numbers
All indicators for Forest
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 13.0% | 13.4% | 21.7% | ranked 553 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 22.9% | 23.5% | 21.5% | ranked 125 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 73.5% | – | 34.6% | ranked 7 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 2.7% | – | 15.3% | ranked 554 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 57.7% | – | 79.9% | ranked 554 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 27,533 | 606,437 | 5,783,434 | ranked 32 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 2.02 ‰ inh. | 2.67 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 483 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 68.8% | – | 76.7% | ranked 428 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 5,543 | 122,725 | 1,170,010 | ranked 28 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 94.1 ‰ inh. | 97.7 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 362 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 19,132 € | 18,524 € | 24,247 € | ranked 533 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 24,982 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 529 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 640,000 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 8 of 554 | |
| Median selling price of apartments (2025) | 279,500 € | – | 249,900 € | ranked 77 of 299 |
Transport
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 0.52 | 0.54 | 1.25 | ranked 556 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 57.0% | 56.4% | 17.6% | ranked 7 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Forest | Brussels-Capital | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 35.8% | 36.7% | 6.4% | ranked 14 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 20.9% | 21.7% | 7.0% | ranked 14 of 551 |
Population of Forest over time
Forest had 55,613 residents in 2016 and 58,904 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 56,281 |
| 2022 | 56,616 |
| 2023 | 57,724 |
| 2024 | 58,044 |
| 2025 | 58,675 |
| 2026 | 58,904 |
Where is Forest?
Business sectors: Forest
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical30.7% ×1.5
- Construction12.6% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade11.8% ×0.8
- Information and communication9.1% ×1.6
- Administrative and support services5.9% ×0.9
- Arts, entertainment and recreation5.6% ×1.4
- Transport and storage4.1% ×1.6
- Accommodation and food services3.8% ×0.7
Sunshine and temperatures: Forest
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Forest?
Forest has 58,904 residents (2026), ranking 29 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Forest?
Forest covers 6.3 km², with a density of 9,365 people per km².
Is the population of Forest growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Forest went from 55,613 to 58,904, a change of +5.9%.
Where is Forest?
Forest is in Brussels-Capital. It belongs to Bruxelles-Capitale (arrondissement). Latitude 50.812, longitude 4.318.
Buildings built before 1946: what is the figure for Forest?
In Forest, “Buildings built before 1946” stands at 73.5% (2024), ranking 7 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 34.6%.
Median selling price of houses: what is the figure for Forest?
In Forest, “Median selling price of houses” stands at 640,000 € (2025), ranking 8 of 554 municipalities; the national median is 302,500 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Forest?
In Forest, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,043 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Forest?
The nearest to Forest are Uccle (1.4 km), Saint-Gilles (2.6 km), Drogenbos (3.2 km), Anderlecht (3.2 km), Ixelles (4.2 km).
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