Built-up and related land (i75)
- 31/10/2025
- objective
- assessment
In 2024, 22.1% of the Belgian land surface was built-up and related land. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure should not increase. Between 2000 and 2024 the trend is unfavourable (assessment of November 2025).
Built-up and related land - Belgium
percentage of land surface
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2018 | 2020 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024//1990 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 16.3 | 18.5 | 19.2 | 20.0 | 20.6 | 21.4 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 22.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: Statbel (2025), Utilisation du sol par commune et région, la Belqique (1834-2024), https://statbel.fgov.be/ (consulted on 18/09/2025); calculations FPB.
Built-up and related land by region - Belgium
percentage of land surface
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2018 | 2020 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024//1990 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | 75.3 | 77.3 | 78.0 | 78.5 | 79.2 | 79.8 | 80.2 | 80.4 | 80.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Flemish Region | 21.3 | 24.4 | 25.4 | 26.4 | 27.2 | 28.3 | 28.6 | 28.9 | 29.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Walloon Region | 11.8 | 13.1 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 15.2 | 15.4 | 15.7 | 15.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: Statbel (2025), Utilisation du sol par commune et région, la Belqique (1834-2024), https://statbel.fgov.be/ (consulted on 18/09/2025); calculations FPB.
Definition: this indicator shows the share of the built-up and related land in relation to the continental surface of the Belgian territory (area of the Belgian territory without its marine area). The built-up and related land includes buildings, transport infrastructures and gardens. The indicator is calculated by the FPB on the basis of data from Statistics Belgium.
The following breakdown is available for this indicator: region.
Goal: the share of the built-up and related land must not rise.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 15.5: "Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats". On this basis, the share of the built-up and related land must not rise.
UN indicator: the selected indicator does not correspond to any monitoring indicator for SDGs but is related to target 15.5, to take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats.
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