Torhout: population and statistics
Torhout has a population of 21,154 (2026) across 45.3 km², or 467 people per km². It ranks 159 of 565 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +3.3% between 2016 and 2026.
- 21,154 residents
- 45.3 km²
- 467 people/km²
- 21 m
Key points
Among the 62 municipalities in West Flanders, Torhout ranks No. 16 by population.
Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over: 24.5% in Torhout, compared with an average of 25.3% in West Flanders and 20.7% nationally.
Largest business sector: Construction, with 17.4% of the area's businesses.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,082 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Its area is roughly equal to 6,349 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Lichtervelde, 4.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Roeselare (67,697 residents), 14 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,328 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Torhout in numbers
All indicators for Torhout
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 | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 24.5% | 25.3% | 21.7% | ranked 81 of 564 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 20 (2026) | 20.6% | 19.9% | 21.5% | ranked 398 of 564 |
Housing
| Indicator | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings built before 1946 (2024) | 19.6% | – | 34.6% | ranked 455 of 564 | |
| Buildings built after 2001 (2024) | 20.6% | – | 15.3% | ranked 79 of 564 | |
| Share of houses in the building stock (2024) | 80.0% | – | 79.9% | ranked 272 of 564 | |
| Number of dwellings (2024) | 10,089 | 736,010 | 5,783,434 | ranked 154 of 565 | |
| New dwellings authorised per year per 1,000 inhabitants (2021-2025) | 5.01 ‰ inh. | 7.30 ‰ inh. | 4.39 ‰ inh. | ranked 219 of 564 |
Energy
| Indicator | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential buildings with central heating or air conditioning (2024) | 79.9% | – | 76.7% | ranked 219 of 564 |
Economy
| Indicator | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAT-liable enterprises (2024) | 2,459 | 148,653 | 1,170,010 | ranked 124 of 565 | |
| VAT-liable enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 116.2 ‰ inh. | 120.3 ‰ inh. | 102.2 ‰ inh. | ranked 154 of 564 | |
| Net taxable income per inhabitant (2023) | 24,186 € | 24,427 € | 24,247 € | ranked 290 of 564 | |
| Median disposable income (administrative) (2023) | 30,984 € | – | 30,830 € | ranked 264 of 551 | |
| Median selling price of houses (2025) | 295,000 € | – | 302,500 € | ranked 304 of 554 | |
| Median selling price of apartments (2025) | 214,000 € | – | 249,900 € | ranked 233 of 299 |
Transport
| Indicator | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per household (2025) | 1.16 | 1.11 | 1.25 | ranked 402 of 564 | |
| Households without a car (2025) | 20.8% | 23.1% | 17.6% | ranked 170 of 564 |
Society
| Indicator | Torhout | West Flanders | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of inhabitants of foreign nationality (2026) | 5.6% | 7.6% | 6.4% | ranked 325 of 564 | |
| Administrative poverty risk (2023) | 5.4% | 6.8% | 7.0% | ranked 411 of 551 |
Population of Torhout over time
Torhout had 20,486 residents in 2016 and 21,154 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,490 |
| 2022 | 20,517 |
| 2023 | 20,782 |
| 2024 | 20,965 |
| 2025 | 21,159 |
| 2026 | 21,154 |
Where is Torhout?
Business sectors: Torhout
Share of each sector in total businesses; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Construction17.4% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade15.2% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical15.0% ×0.7
- Manufacturing6.9% ×1.4
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing6.7% ×1.6
- Other service activities6.6% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services6.6% ×1.0
- Health and social work5.3% ×1.2
Sunshine and temperatures: Torhout
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Torhout?
Torhout has 21,154 residents (2026), ranking 159 of 565 municipalities.
How big is Torhout?
Torhout covers 45.3 km², with a density of 467 people per km².
Is the population of Torhout growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Torhout went from 20,486 to 21,154, a change of +3.3%.
Where is Torhout?
Torhout is in West Flanders. It belongs to Brugge (arrondissement). Latitude 51.066, longitude 3.101.
Buildings built after 2001: what is the figure for Torhout?
In Torhout, “Buildings built after 2001” stands at 20.6% (2024), ranking 79 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 15.3%.
Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Torhout?
In Torhout, “Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over” stands at 24.5% (2026), ranking 81 of 564 municipalities; the national median is 21.7%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Torhout?
In Torhout, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,082 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Torhout?
The nearest to Torhout are Lichtervelde (4.3 km), Kortemark (5.8 km), Ichtegem (8.0 km), Koekelare (8.9 km), Zedelgem (8.9 km).
Coat of arms: unknown, SVG = Own work, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons · Flag: David Descamps, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
