Demographic features of the population of Belgium include ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects. All figures are from the National Institute for Statistics unless otherwise indicated.

Population

As of January 1, 2024, Belgium had a population of 11,763,650 and is the 81st most populous country in the world. The population of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels on January 1, 2024 was 6,821,770 (58.0% of Belgium), 3,692,283 (31.4% of Belgium) and 1,249,597 (10.6% of Belgium), respectively. The population density of Belgium is as of January 1, 2024, making it the 38th most densely populated country in the world, and the 7th most densely populated country in Europe. The most densely populated province is Antwerp, the least densely populated province is Luxembourg.Structure of the Population, STATBEL

As of January 1, 2020, Belgium had a population of 11,492,641, as compared to 2010 (10,839,905 people) an increase of about 653,000. 2010 compared to 2000 (10,239,085 people), an increase of about 601,000 people. 2000 compared to 1990 (9,947,782 people), an increase of about 291,000 people.

The following demographic statistics are from the World Population Review in 2019. One birth every 4 minutes One death every 5 minutes One net migrant every 12 minutes Net gain of one person every 9 minutes

Fertility The total fertility rate (TFR) gradually increased during the last decade from 1.60 in 1997, 1.65 in 2002 and 1.82 in 2007. The rates in Brussels are higher than the national average (1.79 in 1997, 1.93 in 2002 and 2.09 in 2007), while they are below the average in Flanders (1.54 in 1997, 1.56 in 2002 and 1.77 in 2007), due to the higher percentage of non-European immigrants with higher birth rates in Brussels.

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation. Years 18301831183218331834183518361837183818391840Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.724.774.824.874.924.974.974.984.984.995 Years 1841184218431844184518461847184818491850Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.944.884.824.764.74.644.584.514.454.38 Years 1851185218531854185518561857185818591860Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.324.254.184.254.314.384.444.514.534.56 Years 1861186218631864186518661867186818691870Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.584.614.634.664.684.714.734.764.784.8 Years 1871187218731874187518761877187818791880Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.834.854.874.854.834.824.84.784.754.71 Years 1881188218831884188518861887188818891890Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.684.644.614.554.494.424.364.34.274.25 Years 189118921893189418951896189718981899Total Fertility Rate in Belgium4.224.24.174.134.094.064.023.983.91 Total fertility rate; 1.71 children born/woman (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 160th

Birth rate; 11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) Country comparison to the world: 175th

Mother's mean age at first birth; 29 years (2018 est.)

Life expectancy

According to estimation of the Statistics Belgium (Statbel), life expectancy at birth in Belgium in 2023 was 82.28 years (80.18 years for male and 84.30 years for female).

According to alternative estimation of the World Bank Group, in 2023 life expectancy in Belgium was 82.4 years (80.3 for male, 84.6 for female).

Estimation of the United Nations for 2023: 82.11 years total (79.86 for male, 84.33 for female). — see file "Compact (most used: estimates and medium projections)"

Estimation of Eurostat for 2023: 82.5 years total (80.4 for male, 84.5 for female). — Dataset — Table. For visualization use the tab "Map"

According to estimation of the WHO for 2019, at that year life expectancy in Belgium was 81.4 years (79.3 years for male and 83.5 years for female). And healthy life expectancy was 70.6 years (69.8 years for male and 71.3 years for female).

In 2021–2023 period, the difference in life expectancy between the most prosperous and disadvantaged provinces was 4.09 years. In 2020–2022, this difference was 4.23 years.

Statistics by province Belgium is administratively divided into 3 regions: Flemish Region, Walloon Region and a separate Brussels Capital Region. In turn, Flemish and Walloon regions are divided into five provinces each. The table below contains average values for 3-year periods. The values are rounded, all calculations were done on raw data. By default, the table is sorted by the 2022-2024 period. Data source: Statistics Belgium

provinceor region2020–20222021–2023change 22022–2024malefemaleoverallmalefemaleF Δ MoverallmalefemaleF Δ M Belgium on average 81.38 79.10 83.62 4.52 0.50 81.87 79.66 84.04 4.38 — — — — — Limburg 82.46 80.53 84.41 3.88 0.37 82.83 80.92 84.74 3.83 0.98 83.81 82.04 85.54 3.51 Flemish Brabant 82.93 80.81 84.99 4.18 0.44 83.37 81.29 85.37 4.08 0.28 83.65 81.72 85.50 3.78 East Flanders 82.19 79.99 84.36 4.37 0.31 82.50 80.34 84.62 4.28 0.61 83.11 81.09 85.06 3.97 Antwerp 82.34 80.44 84.23 3.79 0.46 82.80 80.95 84.60 3.65 0.29 83.09 81.33 84.81 3.48 West Flanders 82.29 80.04 84.57 4.53 0.40 82.69 80.48 84.91 4.44 0.29 82.98 80.88 85.07 4.19 Walloon Brabant 82.48 80.28 84.52 4.25 0.44 82.92 80.74 84.93 4.19 0.05 82.97 80.83 84.93 4.10 Brussels 80.82 78.19 83.27 5.08 0.86 81.68 79.13 84.01 4.88 0.29 81.97 79.51 84.21 4.70 Belgian Luxembourg 80.07 77.56 82.67 5.11 0.25 80.32 77.78 82.91 5.14 0.32 80.63 78.26 83.05 4.79 Namur 79.78 77.17 82.39 5.22 0.52 80.30 77.87 82.66 4.79 0.32 80.62 78.34 82.82 4.48 Liège 79.49 77.13 81.83 4.71 0.75 80.24 77.99 82.42 4.44 0.23 80.47 78.37 82.50 4.13 Hainaut 78.70 75.87 81.48 5.61 0.58 79.28 76.48 82.00 5.52 0.35 79.63 76.90 82.29 5.39 Flanders on average 82.43 80.35 84.50 4.15 0.39 82.82 80.78 84.83 4.05 — — — — — Wallonia on average 79.61 77.04 82.14 5.11 0.57 80.18 77.68 82.61 — — — — — —

Statistics by region

Region2023Historical dataCOVID-19:2019→2023AllMaleFemale201920202020→202120212021→202220222022→20232023 Flanders 83.17 81.26 85.03 3.77 82.70 −0.70 82.00 0.68 82.68 −0.06 82.62 0.55 83.17 0.47 Belgium 82.28 80.18 84.30 4.12 81.83 −1.04 80.79 0.86 81.65 0.04 81.69 0.59 82.28 0.45 Brussels 82.18 79.73 84.41 4.68 81.59 −1.98 79.61 1.67 81.28 0.31 81.58 0.59 82.18 0.59 Wallonia 80.64 78.25 82.94 4.69 80.28 −1.33 78.94 0.93 79.87 0.14 80.02 0.63 80.64 0.37

Data source: Statistics Belgium

Historical data

Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations.

1841–1950 Years1841184218431844184518461847184818491850Life expectancy in Belgium40.338.640.441.941.037.835.138.035.042.3 Years1851185218531854185518561857185818591860Life expectancy in Belgium41.941.841.339.737.440.940.440.138.945.1 Years1861186218631864186518661867186818691870Life expectancy in Belgium41.243.141.339.837.732.443.042.542.640.9 Years1871187218731874187518761877187818791880Life expectancy in Belgium34.340.043.544.742.143.744.544.243.842.4 Years1881188218831884188518861887188818891890Life expectancy in Belgium44.445.544.944.245.443.346.044.945.044.1 Years1891189218931894189518961897189818991900Life expectancy in Belgium44.043.144.446.645.448.048.848.146.546.5 Years1901190219031904190519061907190819091910Life expectancy in Belgium49.449.149.249.349.949.651.049.650.651.3 Years19111912191319191920Life expectancy in Belgium49.252.352.449.853.6 Years1921192219231924192519261927192819291930Life expectancy in Belgium54.755.156.757.457.156.957.157.455.057.1 Years1931193219331934193519361937193819391940Life expectancy in Belgium58.458.558.760.359.959.960.060.160.055.9 Years1941194219431944194519461947194819491950Life expectancy in Belgium58.959.160.356.958.461.963.464.965.466.3

1950–2015

PeriodLife expectancy inYearsPeriodLife expectancy inYears1950–195567.81985–199075.31955–196069.51990–199576.41960–196570.31995–200077.41965–197070.72000–200578.41970–197571.52005–201079.61975–198072.72010–201580.51980–198573.92015–202081.44

Age structure

0–14 years: 17.22% (male 1,033,383/female 984,624) 15–24 years: 11.2% (male 670,724/female 642,145) 25–54 years: 39.23% (male 2,319,777/female 2,278,450) 55–64 years: 13.14% (male 764,902/female 775,454) 65 years and over: 19.21% (male 988,148/female 1,263,109)

Median age in 2020 (estimation); total: 41.6 years.

male: 40.4 years female: 42.8 years

Density Urbanization; urban population: 98.1% of total population (2020)

rate of urbanization: 0.62% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)

Vital statistics

Source:

Territorial changes in East-Belgium occurred in 1940 (Germany re-annexed Eupen-Malmedy to Germany after the invasion of Belgium) and 1944 (Return to Belgium)

Notable events in Belgian demographics: 1845–1847 – Potato blight 1832–1834, 1849, 1855, 1866, 1892–1894 – Cholera outbreaks 1871 Smallpox pandemic caused by the Franco-Prussian War 1899–1900 Russian flu 1914–1918 – World War I 1918 Spanish flu 1928–1929 Influenza 1940–1945 – World War II 2020–2023 COVID-19 pandemic