Herent: population and statistics
Herent has a population of 23,287 (2026) across 32.7 km², or 711 people per km². It ranks 139 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +9.8% between 2016 and 2026.
- 23,287 residents
- 32.7 km²
- 711 people/km²
- 29 m
Key points
Among the 63 municipalities in Flemish Brabant, Herent ranks No. 17 by population.
Net taxable income per inhabitant: 31,447 € in Herent, compared with an average of 26,927 € in Flemish Brabant and 23,352 € nationally.
Largest business sector: Professional, scientific and technical, with 26.5% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,064 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of houses in the building stock”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Net taxable income per inhabitant”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 4,585 football pitches.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Leuven (105,357 residents), 4.1 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,256 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Herent in numbers
All indicators for Herent
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 | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 21.5% | 20.8% | 21.7% | ranked 297 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 22.1% | 22.6% | 21.5% | ranked 208 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 22.3% | – | 34.6% | ranked 419 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 16.4% | – | 15.3% | ranked 226 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 87.1% | – | 79.9% | ranked 14 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 10,129 | 542,504 | 5,783,434 | ranked 153 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 4.16 ‰ inh. | 4.02 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 310 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 88.9% | – | 76.7% | ranked 57 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 2,430 | 130,833 | 1,170,010 | ranked 127 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 104.4 ‰ inh. | 108.1 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 259 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 31,447 € | 26,927 € | 24,247 € | ranked 13 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 34,993 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 14 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 439,000 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 57 of 554 | |
| Median selling price of apartments (2025) | 350,000 € | – | 249,900 € | ranked 11 of 299 |
Transport
| Indicator | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 1.19 | 1.20 | 1.25 | ranked 374 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 18.5% | 21.3% | 17.6% | ranked 242 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Herent | Flemish Brabant | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 7.8% | 11.9% | 6.4% | ranked 213 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 5.3% | 6.8% | 7.0% | ranked 424 of 551 |
Population of Herent over time
Herent had 21,213 residents in 2016 and 23,287 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,046 |
| 2022 | 22,430 |
| 2023 | 22,723 |
| 2024 | 23,007 |
| 2025 | 23,081 |
| 2026 | 23,287 |
Where is Herent?
Business sectors: Herent
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Professional, scientific and technical26.5% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade10.8% ×0.7
- Information and communication10.0% ×1.8
- Health and social work8.8% ×1.9
- Construction8.8% ×0.6
- Administrative and support services7.7% ×1.2
- Other service activities6.0% ×0.9
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.4% ×1.1
Sunshine and temperatures: Herent
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Herent?
Herent has 23,287 residents (2026), ranking 139 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Herent?
Herent covers 32.7 km², with a density of 711 people per km².
Is the population of Herent growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Herent went from 21,213 to 23,287, a change of +9.8%.
Where is Herent?
Herent is in Flemish Brabant. It belongs to Leuven (arrondissement). Latitude 50.908, longitude 4.671.
Share of houses in the building stock: what is the figure for Herent?
In Herent, “Share of houses in the building stock” stands at 87.1% (2024), ranking 14 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 79.9%.
Net taxable income per inhabitant: what is the figure for Herent?
In Herent, “Net taxable income per inhabitant” stands at 31,447 € (2023), ranking 13 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 24,247 €.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Herent?
In Herent, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,064 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Herent?
The nearest to Herent are Leuven (4.1 km), Rotselaar (5.5 km), Holsbeek (6.8 km), Bertem (7.5 km), Haacht (8.0 km).
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