Network Belgium
Qualitative market research agency in Belgium
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Belgium, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to UX research and shop-alongs, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Belgium has 11.8 million people, 98.3 per cent of them in urban areas and 96.3 per cent online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). It is two language communities in one small country, with Brussels between them: Flanders speaks Dutch, Wallonia speaks French, and each has its own media, retailers and references. A study that runs in one language has studied half of Belgium.
AT A GLANCE
Belgium at a glance for researchers
- Population. 11.8 million people, median age 41.9, 98.3 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). A dense, urban country where Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels are an hour apart and answer separately. Flanders is the largest of the three regions by population, Wallonia the largest by area, and Brussels the smallest and the densest.
- Languages. Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, both in Brussels, and German in a small community in the east. Each session runs in the participant's own language. Our moderators live in Belgium, with Dutch-speaking and French-speaking moderators for their own regions.
- Internet and mobile. 11.3 million internet users, 96.3 per cent of the population, and 12.0 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Online interviews and remote usability tests are routine in both communities. Social media counts 9.08 million user identities, 77.2 per cent of the population, and the median fixed download speed is 122.11 Mbps (same source), so video interviews run smoothly from home.
- Where fieldwork happens. Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent for Flanders and the capital, Liège and Charleroi for Wallonia. A national study has at least one city on each side. Leuven, Bruges and Hasselt are added for Flanders, Namur and Mons for Wallonia, and the German-speaking community around Eupen is interviewed in German when the brief includes it.
- Data protection. The GDPR applies, with the Data Protection Act of 30 July 2018 alongside it. Consent is asked for in the participant's language before each session.
- Timing. July and August are holiday months. School holidays now fall on different dates in the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking communities, so the quiet weeks do not match across the country. National Day is 21 July, and each community has its own holiday as well: 11 July in Flanders and 27 September in the French-speaking community.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Belgium?
In Belgium, the question is never only what people think; it is which Belgians. Flemish and French-speaking consumers watch different channels, read different papers and often shop under different banners. A study in Belgium names its communities in the brief, sets a quota for each and reports them side by side.
- Two studies under one roof. Flanders and Wallonia are recruited, moderated and analysed separately, each in its own language, then compared. Mixing them in one group forces someone to speak a second language. The same discussion guide is used on both sides, written in Dutch and in French, so the comparison is fair.
- Brussels is its own case. The capital is bilingual and international, with a large community of residents from other countries. It is read apart from both regions, and never as a stand-in for either. In Brussels, each participant chooses the language of the session, and groups are formed by language.
- Stimulus in two originals. A concept translated from French into Dutch, or the reverse, reads as an afterthought. Both versions are written or checked by a native speaker before fieldwork. Brand names, prices and retailer names are checked for each region, because a banner that is everywhere in Flanders can be absent in Wallonia.
- A test market in miniature. Brands use Belgium to try an idea in Dutch and in French before larger neighbours. The study is designed so that each result can be read against the Netherlands or France. A result in Flanders is a first reading for the Netherlands, which the next study confirms or corrects, and the same holds between Wallonia and France.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Belgium?
- We recruit through local partners in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, who find the people your brief describes in each language community. People who take part in studies often are screened out, and each participant is confirmed by phone before the session.
- Quotas are set by community first, then by age, income and category use, so the two sides can be compared. In Brussels, the screener asks which language the participant uses at home and which at work.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Belgium?
Most studies in Belgium run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with UX research, shop-alongs or mystery shopping when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, technology, health and professional audiences, in Dutch or French | One language for the whole country |
| Focus groups | Concepts and communications, one language per group | Flemish and French-speaking participants in one room |
| UX research | Sites and apps that must work in Dutch and in French | A language switch that loses the user's place |
| Shop-alongs | Supermarkets and retail chains on both sides | Banners and ranges differ by region |
| Mystery shopping | Retail, banking and dealership networks | A shopper addressed in the wrong language |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Belgium
How much does market research cost in Belgium?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Belgium added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Running both language communities moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Belgium?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Belgian institute fits a national survey or a panel study. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Belgium that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Do I need to research both Flanders and Wallonia in Belgium?
For a national decision, yes. The two communities differ in language, media and often in retailers. We run each in its own language with its own moderator, and compare them. For a first read, start with the region where you will launch. Brussels is added as a third cell when the product is sold there or aimed at an international audience.
Can Belgium be covered from the Netherlands or France?
Not reliably. Flemish Dutch and Belgian French have their own vocabulary and references, and the retailers are different. One MindMarket team can run Belgium with the Netherlands or France, each recruited and moderated locally. Stimulus written for the Netherlands or for France is adapted before it is shown in Belgium, prices and retailer names included.
Which language should sessions run in Belgium?
Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, and the participant's choice in Brussels. English works for international professionals. Your team follows through translation. German is used with the German-speaking community in the east when the brief includes it, and materials are prepared in the language of each session.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Belgium told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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