Chimay: population and statistics
Chimay has a population of 9,606 (2026) across 198.6 km², or 48.4 people per km². It ranks 371 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −2.5% between 2016 and 2026.
- 9,606 residents
- 198.6 km²
- 48 people/km²
- 245 m
Key points
Among the 69 municipalities in Hainaut, Chimay ranks No. 45 by population.
Largest business sector: Agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 18.0% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,045 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Median selling price of houses”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Share of houses in the building stock”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Administrative poverty risk”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 27,815 football pitches.
- Its population density is 8.0 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Momignies, 11.0 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Walcourt (18,338 residents), 24 km away.
Chimay in numbers
All indicators for Chimay
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 | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 24.7% | 20.4% | 21.7% | ranked 70 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 21.2% | 22.3% | 21.5% | ranked 313 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 53.9% | – | 34.6% | ranked 73 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 8.6% | – | 15.3% | ranked 489 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 65.5% | – | 79.9% | ranked 531 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 5,415 | 659,990 | 5,783,434 | ranked 316 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 2.00 ‰ inh. | 2.06 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 486 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 61.0% | – | 76.7% | ranked 519 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 954 | 90,576 | 1,170,010 | ranked 370 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 99.3 ‰ inh. | 66.2 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 317 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 20,065 € | 20,382 € | 24,247 € | ranked 521 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 25,848 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 519 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 164,500 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 541 of 554 |
Transport
| Indicator | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 1.06 | 1.08 | 1.25 | ranked 488 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 25.6% | 26.4% | 17.6% | ranked 73 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Chimay | Hainaut | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 4.5% | 12.7% | 6.4% | ranked 411 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 16.7% | 14.8% | 7.0% | ranked 31 of 551 |
Population of Chimay over time
Chimay had 9,850 residents in 2016 and 9,606 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,647 |
| 2022 | 9,769 |
| 2023 | 9,716 |
| 2024 | 9,691 |
| 2025 | 9,673 |
| 2026 | 9,606 |
Where is Chimay?
Business sectors: Chimay
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing18.0% ×4.3
- Wholesale and retail trade17.0% ×1.1
- Construction14.3% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical12.2% ×0.6
- Administrative and support services7.8% ×1.2
- Accommodation and food services7.2% ×1.3
- Other service activities6.9% ×1.0
- Manufacturing4.7% ×1.0
Sunshine and temperatures: Chimay
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Chimay?
Chimay has 9,606 residents (2026), ranking 371 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Chimay?
Chimay covers 198.6 km², with a density of 48 people per km².
Is the population of Chimay growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Chimay went from 9,850 to 9,606, a change of −2.5%.
Where is Chimay?
Chimay is in Hainaut. It belongs to Thuin (arrondissement). Latitude 50.048, longitude 4.317.
Median selling price of houses: what is the figure for Chimay?
In Chimay, “Median selling price of houses” stands at 164,500 € (2025), ranking 541 of 554 municipalities; the national median is 302,500 €.
Share of houses in the building stock: what is the figure for Chimay?
In Chimay, “Share of houses in the building stock” stands at 65.5% (2024), ranking 531 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 79.9%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Chimay?
In Chimay, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,045 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Chimay?
The nearest to Chimay are Momignies (11 km), Froidchapelle (11 km), Couvin (13 km), Cerfontaine (15 km), Sivry-Rance (17 km).
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