Global CityIntelligence

Economy & jobs

Economy and jobs in Ghent

Ghent has a regional economy with strengths in manufacturing, technology and research.

Economy type
Regional center
Economy score
78/100

Economy overview

Ghent has a regional economy with strengths in manufacturing, technology and research.

Ghent, Belgium is classified as a regional center in our deterministic economy index. These are planning estimates derived from country economic priors and existing city signals — not measured GDP or labour-market statistics. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Key industries

The sectors that most shape the local economy, derived deterministically from country and city signals.

Key industries

  • Manufacturing
  • Technology
  • Research
  • Tourism
  • Healthcare
  • Software

Employment outlook

The breadth of the labour market and where opportunities concentrate.

Employment outlook

Employment76/100
Job market78/100

Ghent's labour market is strong, with opportunities concentrated in technology, manufacturing and healthcare.

Salary potential

Estimated pay levels and how far local incomes stretch against the cost of living.

Salary potential

Salary potential78/100
Affordability-adjusted income75/100

The affordability-adjusted income score combines estimated pay with the local cost of living, indicating how far a typical income stretches in Ghent.

Business environment

Conditions for operating and growing a business locally.

Business environment

Business environment80/100

This reflects infrastructure, institutional capacity, and the scale of the local market relative to peer cities.

Startup ecosystem

How supportive the local ecosystem is for new ventures.

Startup ecosystem

Startup ecosystem75/100
Innovation79/100

The startup ecosystem in Ghent is strong, supported by universities and skilled talent, a favourable business environment and strong infrastructure.

Remote work suitability

Suitability for remote and distributed work.

Remote work suitability

Remote work83/100
Remote job availability84/100

Ghent offers strong infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 83/100.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity and how it breaks down by sector.

Career opportunities

Overall career opportunity79/100
Technology79/100
Healthcare68/100
Finance59/100
Manufacturing75/100
Tourism67/100
Education67/100

Economy score

A 0–100 composite of employment, salary, business environment, startups, innovation, remote work, and affordability-adjusted income. Used consistently across the platform.

Economy score

Economy score78/100
Employment76/100
Salary78/100
Business environment80/100
Startup ecosystem75/100
Innovation79/100
Remote work83/100

Jobs score

A 0–100 labour-market composite and its sector components.

Jobs score

Job market78/100
Technology79/100
Healthcare68/100
Finance59/100
Manufacturing75/100
Tourism67/100
Education67/100
Remote availability84/100
Career opportunity79/100

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