Floor area of non-residential buildings

This indicator shows the total floor area of non-residential buildings. It paints a better picture of how much of this we need in Flanders.

32.9 million m²

  • In 2020 the total floor area of non-residential buildings totalled 32,897,000 m2.
  • This floor area indicates an increase compared to the previous year, despite the fact that the number of buildings has remained constant.

What do we see?

In 2020 the total floor area of non-residential buildings totalled 32,897,000 m2. This floor area was spread over 416,573 buildings. Although the number of buildings remains relatively constant, the floor area has increased compared to 2019.

The graph below illustrates the evolution since 2015 and also shows the distribution based on the type of property. A distinction is made between offices, logistics real estate and real estate for semi-industrial activities.



What’s the aim?

In a circular economy, we are always looking for ways to meet the same needs while using fewer materials. By gaining more insight into the floor area of non-residential buildings and how we use these spaces, we can determine how efficient that use is. Nevertheless, when doing this analysis we must always take the type of activity into account. To increase the efficiency of non-residential buildings, we can look at, for example, incentives for coworking initiatives.

What does this indicator measure?

This indicator shows the total floor area of non-residential buildings in order to paint a better picture of how much of this we need in Flanders. By non-residential buildings we mean all types of building that people do not live in, for example office buildings, industrial buildings, school buildings, etc. The data for this indicator comes from Cushman & Wakefield. However, it only covers Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen, which means we cannot draw any general conclusions for the entire Flemish region.

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