Leuven (Louvain)

Province of Vlaams-Brabant · 105.357 inhabitants

Who makes decisions about Leuven?

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?

The items the municipal council dealt with in recent months. Items about individuals (staff, permits, councillors’ questions…) are shown without details.

Meeting of 31 August 2026

Source: Lokaal Beslist (Flemish government), published by the municipality.

How does Leuven 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

€ 3,681 per inhabitant

taxes, money from higher authorities, charges…

30% more than the Flemish average

Spending

€ 3,878 per inhabitant

day-to-day running and investments

34% more than the Flemish average

Debt

€ 2,449 per inhabitant

what the municipality still has to repay on its loans

about 1,9 times as much as the Flemish average

Does the municipality have money left over? Yes: after day-to-day running costs and repaying loans, € 25 per inhabitant was left to invest.

What did Leuven 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 23%
Governance and administration the town hall, staff, service desks and buildings 20%
Culture, sport and leisure library, sports hall, cultural centre and youth work 17%
Police and fire service the contribution to the police zone and the emergency services zone 12%
Housing and building building permits, social housing and neighbourhoods 6%
Waste, nature and environment waste collection, sewers, parks and green spaces 6%
Roads and mobility streets, pavements, cycle paths and parking 5%
Loans and finances interest on loans and collecting taxes 5%
Schools and education municipal schools, school buildings and academies 4%
Business and employment markets, local economy and employment 4%

In 2014 the municipality spent € 2,951 per inhabitant; in 2024, € 3,878 (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 Leuven

In 2025, 796 organisations from Leuven received a total of € 805.5 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?

INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM € 196,928,173
STAD LEUVEN € 111,492,377
FERM KINDEROPVANG € 88,334,238
KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT TE LEUVEN € 53,190,776
PLEEGZORG VLAAMS - BRABANT EN BRUSSEL € 28,570,345

See all subsidies in Leuven →

Work contracted out by public bodies in Leuven

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 180 contracts, worth € 434.3 million in total.