Saint-Gilles, Belgium

Beginnings as Obbrussel

The first houses of the hamlet of Obbrussel (Old Dutch: Obbrusselsche, meaning "Upper Brussels") were built, between the 7th and the 11th centuries, close to the Altitude Cent/Hoogte Honderd, one of the highest points in Brussels, now part of Forest. In 1216, following strong demographic growth in the area, Forest Abbey allowed Obbrussel to become an independent parish. This independence, however, was to last only eighty years, after which the administration of the village was given to Brussels. By the 16th century, Obbrussel had grown to 41 houses.

In 1670, following orders from the Spanish government, the Count of Monterey built a fort in Obbrussel as part of the fortifications of Brussels to protect the City of Brussels against possible attacks. Erected in 1675, this fort was dismantled in the following century to give way to several important toll roads and urban development. The name of the Barrière de Saint-Gilles/Bareel van Sint-Gillis neighbourhood (lit. 'Barrier of Saint Giles') still commemorates those tolls to this day.

French Regime until today

During the French regime, on 31 August 1795, the village, by now called Saint-Gilles after its patron saint and main church, merged with neighbouring villages to form Uccle. Four years later, it gained its independence again, with its own mayor and municipal council. In 1830, Brussels became the capital of newly founded Belgium. As a result, the rural village of Saint-Gilles, known for centuries for its cabbage cultivation, went through an unprecedented construction spree. The population increased from 2,500 around 1800 to more than 33,000 in 1880 to a peak of 60,000 in 1910.

The street pattern was completely remodelled in the 1860s by the architect and urbanist Victor Besme [fr; nl]. It was around that time that the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan, Brussels-South railway station, and the new Church of St. Gilles were built, to be followed soon after by Saint-Gilles Prison and Municipal Hall. Nowadays, Saint-Gilles is one of the densest municipalities of the Brussels agglomeration.

Population

• Nationality: Saint-Gilles has one of the highest foreign populations of any Brussels municipality. Of the 48,827 registered residents in January 2025, 24,120 (49.4%) do not hold Belgian nationality. The largest foreign communities are those from France (c. 5,600), Portugal (c. 2,300), Italy (c. 2,100) and Spain (c. 1,800), Morocco (c. 1,400), Romania (c. 1,400), Poland (c. 1,100), Germany (c. 600), Greece and Brazil (c. 500).^[5][6]
• Age: The population is relatively young—the average age is 38.1 years—with nearly 8,000 residents under 18 years old, and fewer than average over 65.^[5]
• Sex: Saint-Gilles has an equal split of men (24,414, 50%) and women (24,413, 50%).^[5]
• Income: The average income per inhabitant is around €17,100 per year, making it below the national average.^[7]

Economy and labour market

• Businesses: In 2024, the municipality was home to 5,073 head offices of VAT-registered businesses and 1,636 local operating units.^[6]
• Employment: 35,177 employees and 4,442 self-employed people worked there.^[6] Saint-Gilles has a high female labour market participation rate; 59.8% against 68.2% for men.^[5] The employment rate was 60.8%.^[5] Unemployment stood at 16.4%, having fallen from 24.2% in 2015.^[5]
• Tourism: Hotel nights have reached over 750,000 per year, of which international tourists represent roughly 77%. Saint-Gilles maintains the second-largest hotel capacity in the Brussels-Capital Region.^[6]
• Property prices: The median sale price of an apartment in Saint-Gilles reached €280,000, while terraced houses reached a median price of €580,000.^[8] Around 550 properties change hands annually.^[8]
• Rents: Most accommodation in the municipality is rented (around 70%).^[6] The average rent across all private market housing types is approximately €850 to €950 per month.^[6] There were 1,180 social housing units managed within the municipality.^[6]