Belgium may be small, but it is hard not to notice the huge differences in culture, architecture and quality of life between its cities, or quarters for bigger cities like Brussels and Antwerp.
The consumer-protection magazine Test-Achats/Test-Ankoop regularly rates various factors related to quality of life. Here is a summary of a few parameters.
Education, health and employment
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Overall rating : 8.1/10
Top 3 cities :
Leuven : 8.6
Bruges : 8.4
Kortrijk : 8.3
Bottom 3 cities :
Liege : 7.2
Brussels : 7
Charleroi : 6.8
Safety
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Analysis of 10 cities based on criminality statistics (high scores mean that the city is safer).
Arlon : 8.5
Leuven : 8.4
Hasselt : 8.4
Bruges : 8.3
Ghent : 8.1
Namur : 7.8
Antwerp : 7.7
Brussels : 7.4
Liege : 6.8
Charleroi : 6.4
Cleanliness
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This study rates 40 municipalities in Belgium. 3 categories (public areas, well-off neighbourhoods, poorer neighbourhoods) are scored from 1 to 5. I have selected only cities (not small towns or suburbs) for the classification below.
Top 5
1) Genk
2) Arlon
3) Bruges
4) Leuven
5) Marche-en-Famenne
The bottom of the list is made up of Charleroi, Liege and its industrial suburbs (Seraing and Herstal), and the immigrant neighbourhoods of Brussels (Anderlecht and Schaerbeek being at the very bottom of the list).
Overall quality of life
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Major study rating lodging, health, education, transports, urban landscape, employment, environment & pollution, criminality, shops & services, cultural activities, sports facilities, local administration & urban planning.
1) Hasselt : 72%
2) Leuven : 72%
3) Bruges : 72%
4) Genk : 67%
5) Ghent : 67%
6) Kortrijk : 66%
7) Marche-en-Famenne : 65%
8) Mechelen : 63%
9) Arlon : 63%
10) Braine-l'Alleud : 62%
11) Wavre : 61%
12) Namur : 60%
13) Antwerp : 60%
14) Aalst : 58%
15) Verviers : 57%
16) Brussels : 56%
17) Mons : 56%
18) Liege : 55%
19) Sambreville : 54%
20) Charleroi : 48%
The only city that has a score superior to 7/10 for every category is Hasselt. Note that Genk is the twin city of Hasselt and could be considered as a single entity.
This study omits Ottignies and Louvain-la-Neuve, which is the closest equivalent of Hasselt and Genk in Wallonia. The twin city would probably have ranked in the top 5, certainly above Ghent.
Charleroi by far is the worse rated, with scores under 5/10 for 5 categories (urban landscape, employment, environment & pollution, criminality, local administration & urban planning).
Walloon cities fare particularly bad when it comes to public transports (maximum score 6.1/10).
Quality of life in Belgian cities
Linear Mode
