Metadata: Built-up land and related areas

Flemish Statistical Authority

24-09-2025

These statistics are based on an administrative data source, namely an extraction of cadastral data from the General Administration of Heritage Documentation (AAPD). This administrative database collects data continuously, but the extraction for the production of these statistics takes place once a year.

Area of the Flemish Region and the Flemish municipalities on 1 January of the year.

The terms and definitions used in these statistics are based on the EEC-UNO standard classification of land use.

The statistics on “Built-up land and related areas” are largely taken from the land registry (FPS Finance) and also include some parts of major watercourses. The built-up area comprises land occupied by dwellings, roads, mines and quarries, as well as all other facilities, including adjacent areas, used for human activities. A complete overview of the different categories is listed below. This also includes certain types of open (undeveloped) land closely linked to these activities, such as landfills, abandoned land in built-up areas, wreck storage sites, city parks and gardens.

This category does not include land occupied by scattered farm buildings, farmyards and outbuildings. Land occupied by contiguous villages or similar rural settlements is included.

Built-up land and related areas by category: residential areas, transport and telecommunications areas, industrial buildings and areas, recreational areas and other open spaces, public buildings and areas except for transport, telecommunications and technical facilities, commercial buildings and areas, mixed-use areas, areas for technical facilities and quarries, wells, mines, etc.

The statistics are expressed as a share of the total area.

For statistics at municipal level, the NIS coding for municipalities is used: https://statbel.fgov.be/nl/over-statbel/methodologie/classificaties/geografie. (in Dutch)(opens in new window)

Aggregation of the surface area per municipality according to land area. Land area is divided here into agricultural land, built-up land and related areas, and other areas.

See: https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/metadata/T8.STAT_DTST_305.CTAC_ORG_1.DIFF_LVL_1.NL.pdf (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window)

Geographical comparability: geographically comparable within Belgium.

Comparability over time: Comparable over time, subject to some caution. The statistics contain adjusted data for 2018, based on a new calculation of the total area of the administrative entities at the Land Registry of the FPS Finance. This includes the following:

1. Until 2017, the files from the cadastral register of the FPS Finance were used to calculate the total area. The data in that database was originally defined during the Napoleonic era (when the Land Registry was established). However, the cadastral areas underwent successive updates until 2017, which were applied to the calculations from 2018 onwards. The new calculation method from 2018 onwards only affects non-cadastral areas.
2. In line with international conventions and the guidelines of the European statistical office Eurostat, the area of the coastal strip up to the low-water line was included in the 10 coastal municipalities.

In view of the above, some reservations should be made when comparing the data series from 2018 with that of 2017 and previous years.

In 2019, the Land Registry made a minor correction to the area of 244 municipalities in the Flemish Region. In total, this involves an adjustment (addition) of 1.32 km² to the area of the Flemish Region. This brings the area of the Flemish Region to 13,626 km² (1,362,554 ha).

Statbel: Land use(opens in new window)

Built-up area