The results are in: These were Belgium's most congested cities in 2019

Brussels' roads are getting more congested, with the Belgian capital the 44th most traffic-heavy city in the world, according to the latest stats from TomTom.

Brussels, with a 38% congestion rate, was Belgium's worst city for traffic in 2019, up one percentage point on the previous year.

The percentage figure means a typical car journey in the capital will take drivers 38% longer than in clear traffic conditions.

Put another way, what should be a 30-minute ride takes, on average, between 41 and 42 minutes to complete. And in peak hours, journeys in Brussels can be up to 77% longer, particularly on the Rue de la Loi and Rue du Trône.

A surprise second place went to Mons, on 34% - a big increase on 2018 attributed to major roadworks on the nearby E42 motorway.

Antwerp was Flanders' most congested city, and in third place nationally, also up one percentage point with a 32% congestion rate according to TomTom.

Some Belgian cities saw their traffic improve in 2019 - namely Leuven, Namur and Kortrijk - while Ghent recorded no change.

The sat nav operator has compiled a congestion league table for the past decade, spanning 416 cities in 57 countries.

The world's two most congested cities are Bangalore and Manila, the study found.

Belgium's congestion top 10

1. Brussels - 38% (+1 percentage point)
2. Mons - 34% (+18)
3. Antwerp - 32% (+1)
4. Liège - 24% (+4)
5. Leuven - 20% (-3)
6. Ghent - 20% (No change)
7. Namur - 19% (-10%)
8. Bruges - 16% (+1)
9. Kortrijk - 15% (-3)
10. Charleroi - 13% (+1)