Leuven Population 2026

Leuven has a population of 101,032, making it the #10 biggest city in 🇧🇪 Belgium, located in Flanders. Roughly 0.9% of Belgium's population lives here. It is about 10× smaller than Brussels, the country's biggest city.

Location of Leuven (capital Brussels shown for reference). Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Population (city proper)

101,032

Rank in Belgium

#10

Coordinates

50.88°N, 4.70°E

~28 m elevation · Europe/Brussels

Distance to capital (Brussels)

25 km

16 miles, straight line

Other big cities in Flanders

City	Population	Rank in Belgium
Antwerp	529,247	#2
Gent	265,086	#3
Brugge	118,509	#8
Deurne	78,747	#15
Hasselt	77,651	#16
Aalst	77,534	#17
Mechelen	77,530	#18
Kortrijk	73,879	#20

Cities near Leuven

Wavre34,305 people · ~19 km away
Woluwe-Saint-Lambert56,584 people · ~19 km away
Vilvoorde36,955 people · ~20 km away
Mechelen77,530 people · ~23 km away
Schaerbeek132,761 people · ~23 km away
Grimbergen37,000 people · ~24 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Leuven?

Leuven has a population of 101,032 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #10 biggest city in Belgium.

What region is Leuven in?

Leuven is located in Flanders, Belgium.

Is Leuven the capital of Belgium?

No, the capital of Belgium is Brussels, about 25 km away.

Sources & notes

Population refers to the city proper (municipal boundaries), not the metropolitan area. Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 2026-07-07. Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

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