Average income in Belgium varies greatly per region

The average net annual income in Belgium was €17,019 in 2013, with residents of Wallonia and Brussels earning less than in Flanders. Average incomes vary greatly throughout the country, not only by region, but also by province and municipality. Moneytalk sought out which Belgian provinces are home to the highest earners.

With an average net income of €18,163 two years ago, residents of Flanders earned about 7% more than the national average, while those living in Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region had take-home pay that was 5% and 21% below the Belgian average, respectively. Brussels residents in 2013 earned an average of €13,312 per year, and Walloons about €16,104 a year, according to figures from the FPS Economy.

Between 2008 and 2013, the average wage in Belgium rose by 11.5%, again with some regional differences. The average income in Wallonia grew about as fast as it did in Flanders in five years, by about 12%. Wages in the Brussels-Capital Region, by comparison, increased by 6.2% in the same period.

As in previous years, the province of Flemish Brabant was again in 2013 the most well faring province in Belgium, with the highest per capita income at €19,994. Walloon Brabant, with an average per capita income of €19,465, and East Flanders at €18,419, complete the top three.

The biggest earners live in Sint-Martens-Latem (pictured), near Ghent, where residents earned an average of €25,663 in 2013, 50.8% higher than the national average. The wealthiest Walloon municipality is Lasne, with an annual per capita income of €23,178.