Westerlo

Province of Antwerpen · 25.723 inhabitants

Who makes decisions about Westerlo?

Three levels of government each decide on their own topics.

Your municipality

The municipal council and the mayor and aldermen decide on matters such as streets, waste collection, sports halls, libraries and the public social welfare centre.

We do not show municipal council decisions yet: there is no open data for all municipalities yet.

Flemish Parliament

The Flemish Parliament decides on matters such as education, housing, mobility, the environment, child benefit and care.

Recently discussed

Everything from this parliament →

Federal Chamber

The Chamber decides on matters such as pensions, taxes, justice, the police, defence and health insurance.

Recently discussed

Everything from this parliament →

What did the municipal council decide?

We have not found any decisions from the last few months yet. Not every municipality publishes on Lokaal Beslist yet.

How does Westerlo handle money?

From the 2024 annual accounts of the municipality and the public social welfare centre combined. Amounts per inhabitant, so you can compare municipalities.

Revenue

€ 2,234 per inhabitant

taxes, money from higher authorities, charges…

21% less than the Flemish average

Spending

€ 2,427 per inhabitant

day-to-day running and investments

16% less than the Flemish average

Debt

€ 598 per inhabitant

what the municipality still has to repay on its loans

53% less than the Flemish average

Does the municipality have money left over? Yes: after day-to-day running costs and repaying loans, € 260 per inhabitant was left to invest.

What did Westerlo spend the most on?

Breakdown of spending on day-to-day running (excluding investments).

Care and social assistance Public social welfare centre, childcare, care for older people and help for people in poverty 28%
Governance and administration the town hall, staff, service desks and buildings 23%
Schools and education municipal schools, school buildings and academies 12%
Culture, sport and leisure library, sports hall, cultural centre and youth work 11%
Police and fire service the contribution to the police zone and the emergency services zone 7%
Waste, nature and environment waste collection, sewers, parks and green spaces 7%
Housing and building building permits, social housing and neighbourhoods 6%
Roads and mobility streets, pavements, cycle paths and parking 3%
Loans and finances interest on loans and collecting taxes 2%
Business and employment markets, local economy and employment 1%

In 2014 the municipality spent € 2,274 per inhabitant; in 2024, € 2,427 (in euros of that year, not adjusted for inflation).

Source: Flemish Agency for Home Affairs, Gemeente- en Stadsmonitor (BBC-DR). Your municipality's budget and multi-year plan can be found in the BBC-beleidstool.

Subsidies for organisations from Westerlo

In 2025, 142 organisations from Westerlo received a total of € 42.7 million in subsidies.

The municipal administration itself often also receives subsidies from higher levels of government. Self-employed people and other individuals are not counted here.

Who received the most?

GEMEENTE WESTERLO € 16,477,038
HYDROGENICS EUROPE € 12,358,594
OPENBAAR CENTRUM VOOR MAATSCHAPPELIJK WELZIJN VAN WESTERLO € 5,442,860
SPORTA-FEDERATIE € 1,276,082
JACK MATT COMPANY € 1,182,206

See all subsidies in Westerlo →

Work contracted out by public bodies in Westerlo

These are the larger public contracts of public bodies with their address in this municipality: the municipality itself, but also, for example, a hospital, a school or a ministry.

In 2026, they awarded 6 contracts, worth € 3.3 million in total.