Residents of West Flanders are the most frequent library users in the Flemish region, both in terms of active borrowers and the number of books borrowed per capita.
West Flanders has the highest number of active borrowers per 1,000 residents, with 173 people regularly borrowing books. They also borrow more books than residents of other provinces in Flanders, according to data requested by Flemish Parliament member Griet Vanryckegem (N-VA).
Since March 2023, nearly all Dutch-speaking public libraries in Flanders and Brussels have adopted the same system, creating one of the largest library networks in the world. This network includes 305 libraries operating across 809 branches. The system, called Bib Analytics and developed by Cultuurconnect, provides statistical insights into borrowing habits.
In terms of sheer numbers, the province of Antwerp leads with 290,545 active borrowers and 5.8 million loans in 2025. However, when adjusted for population, West Flanders records the highest figures: 173 active borrowers per 1,000 residents and 3,657 loans per 1,000 residents.
Oost Flanders ranks second with 166 active borrowers and 3,112 loans per 1,000 residents, followed by Antwerp, which recorded 151 active borrowers and 3,008 loans per 1,000 residents.
“These statistics show that reading thrives in Flanders, particularly in West Flanders, home to the most avid book lovers,” Vanryckegem stated. “The success of Cultuurconnect and Bib Analytics is both technological and societal—it makes reading more accessible and lets us measure what works.”
