Demographics of Belgium

Demographics of Kingdom of Belgium
1948-2009
Population	11,200,000 (2013)
Growth rate	0.82% (2008)
Birth rate	11.7 births/1,000 population (2008)
Death rate	9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2008)
Life expectancy	80.38 years (2012)
• male	78.0 years (2013 est.)
• female	83.0 years (2013 est.)
Fertility rate	1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate	4,62
Age structure
0–14 years	16.1% (male 857,373/female 822,303)
15–64 years	66.3% (male 3,480,072/female 3,419,721)
65 and over	17.6% (male 760,390/female 1,074,477) (2009 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth	1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Under 15	1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years	1.02 male(s)/female
65 and over	0.72 male(s)/female
Nationality
Nationality	noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian
Major ethnic	58% Flemish
Minor ethnic	31% Walloon, 11% Mixed/Other
Language
Spoken	Dutch, French, German

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Belgium, including ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. All figures are from the National Institute for Statistics unless otherwise indicated.^[1]

Population

Belgium had a population of 11,190,846 people on 1 January 2015 as compared to 10,839,905 people on 1 January 2010, an increase of 601,000 in comparison to 2000 (10,239,085 inhabitants). Between 1990 (9,947,782 inhabitants) and 2000 the increase was only 291,000. The population of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels on January 1, 2010 was 6,251,983 (57.7%), 3,498,384 (32.3%) and 1,089,538 (10.1%), respectively.

Immigration

In the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed 25% of the total population.^[2]

Of these 'New Belgians', 1,200,000 (49%) are of European ancestry and 1,350,000 (51%)^[3] are from non-Western countries.

Since the relaxation of the Belgian nationality law more than 1.3 million migrants have acquired Belgian citizenship and are now considered new Belgians. 89.2% of inhabitants of Turkish origin have been naturalized, as have 88.4% of people of Moroccan background, 75.4% of Italians, 56.2% of the French and 47.8% of Dutch people.^[3]

In 2007, there were 1.38 million foreign-born residents in Belgium, corresponding to 12.9% of the total population. Of these, 685 000 (6.4%) were born outside the EU and 695 000 (6.5%) were born in another EU Member State.^[4]

Vital statistics

Births and deaths

Note: Territorial changes in East-Belgium occurred in 1925, 1940 and 1944.

	Average population (x 1,000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1,000)	Crude death rate (per 1,000)	Natural change (per 1,000)	Fertility rates
1900	6,719	193,789	129,046	64,743	28.8	19.2	9.6
1901	6,747	200,077	116,077	84,000	29.7	17.2	12.4
1902	6,848	195,871	119,330	76,541	28.6	17.4	11.2
1903	6,941	192,301	118,675	73,626	27.7	17.1	10.6
1904	7,030	191,721	119,506	72,215	27.3	17.0	10.3
1905	7,118	187,437	118,343	69,094	26.3	16.6	9.7
1906	7,200	186,271	118,884	67,387	25.9	16.5	9.4
1907	7,278	185,138	115,347	69,791	25.4	15.8	9.6
1908	7,352	183,834	121,964	61,870	25.0	16.6	8.4
1909	7,419	176,431	117,571	58,860	23.8	15.8	7.9
1910	7,438	176,413	112,826	63,587	23.7	15.2	8.5
1911	7,457	171,802	122,843	48,959	23.0	16.5	6.6
1912	7,531	171,187	112,378	58,809	22.7	14.9	7.8
1913	7,605	171,099	111,227	59,872	22.5	14.6	7.9
1914	7,662	156,389	108,720	47,669	20.4	14.2	6.2
1915	7,697	124,291	100,674	23,617	16.1	13.1	3.1
1916	7,701	99,360	101,044	-1,684	12.9	13.1	-0.2
1917	7,667	86,675	124,824	-38,149	11.3	16.3	-5.0
1918	7,599	85,056	157,340	-72,284	11.2	20.7	-9.5
1919	7,566	123,314	113,732	9,582	16.3	15.0	1.3
1920	7,491	164,950	102,505	62,445	22.0	13.7	8.3
1921	7,444	164,603	102,908	61,695	22.1	13.8	8.3
1922	7,511	154,871	106,615	48,256	20.6	14.2	6.4
1923	7,573	156,600	100,084	56,516	20.7	13.2	7.5
1924	7,646	154,083	99,653	54,430	20.2	13.0	7.1
1925	7,748	155,330	99,569	55,761	20.0	12.9	7.2
1926	7,843	151,009	101,018	49,991	19.3	12.9	6.4
1927	7,903	146,296	103,007	43,289	18.5	13.0	5.5
1928	7,968	148,071	102,270	45,801	18.6	12.8	5.7
1929	8,032	147,311	115,901	31,410	18.3	14.4	3.9
1930	8,076	152,530	103,397	49,133	18.9	12.8	6.1	2.37
1931	8,126	149,657	103,773	45,884	18.4	12.8	5.6	2.30
1932	8,186	145,835	104,221	41,614	17.8	12.7	5.1	2.22
1933	8,231	136,757	104,640	32,117	16.6	12.7	3.9	2.07
1934	8,262	133,514	96,851	36,663	16.2	11.7	4.4	2.01
1935	8,288	128,432	102,132	26,300	15.5	12.3	3.2	1.92
1936	8,315	127,751	101,595	26,156	15.4	12.2	3.1	1.91
1937	8,346	128,696	104,163	24,533	15.4	12.5	2.9	1.89
1938	8,374	133,610	104,684	28,926	16.0	12.5	3.5	1.96
1939	8,391	130,019	110,393	19,626	15.5	13.2	2.3	2.09
1940	8,301	112,497	125,083	-12,586	13.6	15.1	-1.5	1.67
1941	8,276	100,616	118,670	-18,054	12.2	14.3	-2.2	1.49
1942	8,246	108,603	117,291	-8,688	13.2	14.2	-1.1	1.61
1943	8,241	123,349	107,767	15,582	15.0	13.1	1.9	1.84
1944	8,291	127,122	124,861	2,261	15.3	15.1	0.3	1.89
1945	8,339	130,526	121,155	9,371	15.7	14.5	1.1	1.93
1946	8,367	152,962	110,413	42,549	18.3	13.2	5.1	2.22
1947	8,450	150,227	108,136	42,091	17.8	12.8	5.0	2.16
1948	8,557	150,416	108,016	42,400	17.6	12.6	5.0	2.18
1949	8,614	147,854	111,104	36,750	17.2	12.9	4.3	2.13
1950	8,639	145,672	108,236	37,436	16.9	12.5	4.3	2.34
1951	8,678	142,314	109,763	32,551	16.4	12.6	3.8	2.29
1952	8,730	146,064	104,178	41,886	16.7	11.9	4.8	2.33
1953	8,778	146,125	105,863	40,262	16.6	12.1	4.6	2.33
1954	8,819	148,538	105,033	43,505	16.8	11.9	4.9	2.39
1955	8,868	149,195	108,743	40,452	16.8	12.3	4.6	2.40
1956	8,924	150,210	108,761	41,449	16.8	12.2	4.6	2.42
1957	8,989	152,871	107,840	45,031	17.0	12.0	5.0	2.47
1958	9,053	155,048	106,051	48,997	17.1	11.7	5.4	2.52
1959	9,104	158,237	103,933	54,304	17.4	11.4	6.0	2.59
1960	9,153	154,787	113,938	40,849	16.9	12.4	4.5	2.55
1961	9,184	158,431	106,985	51,446	17.3	11.6	5.6	2.64
1962	9,251	155,061	112,758	42,303	16.8	12.2	4.6	2.59
1963	9,328	159,192	116,718	42,474	17.1	12.5	4.6	2.68
1964	9,428	160,838	110,100	50,738	17.1	11.7	5.4	2.73
1965	9,499	155,496	115,045	40,451	16.4	12.1	4.3	2.60
1966	9,528	151,096	115,613	35,483	15.9	12.1	3.7	2.53
1967	9,581	146,193	115,212	30,981	15.3	12.0	3.2	2.42
1968	9,619	141,984	121,744	20,240	14.8	12.7	2.1	2.31
1969	9,660	141,799	120,471	21,328	14.7	12.5	2.2	2.26
1970	9,656	142,168	118,660	23,508	14.7	12.3	2.4	2.20
1971	9,695	140,966	118,853	22,113	14.5	12.3	2.3	2.18
1972	9,711	136,304	117,424	18,880	14.0	12.1	1.9	2.09
1973	9,742	129,424	118,254	11,170	13.3	12.1	1.1	1.95
1974	9,772	123,674	116,159	7,515	12.7	11.9	0.8	1.83
1975	9,801	119,693	119,425	268	12.2	12.2	0.0	1.74
1976	9,818	121,034	118,641	2,393	12.3	12.1	0.2	1.73
1977	9,830	121,852	112,672	9,180	12.4	11.5	0.9	1.71
1978	9,840	122,592	115,388	7,204	12.5	11.7	0.7	1.69
1979	9,848	123,825	112,010	11,815	12.6	11.4	1.2	1.69
1980	9,849	124,398	113,699	10,699	12.6	11.5	1.1	1.67
1981	9,859	123,792	112,326	11,466	12.6	11.4	1.2	1.67
1982	9,856	120,231	111,871	8,360	12.2	11.4	0.8	1.61
1983	9,856	117,145	114,534	2,611	11.9	11.6	0.3	1.56
1984	9,855	115,715	109,658	6,057	11.7	11.1	0.6	1.59
1985	9,858	114,030	110,770	3,260	11.6	11.2	0.3	1.49
1986	9,862	117,102	111,343	5,759	11.9	11.3	0.6	1.54
1987	9,870	117,334	105,426	11,908	11.9	10.7	1.2	1.55
1988	9,902	119,456	104,552	14,904	12.1	10.6	1.5	1.56
1989	9,938	121,117	107,619	13,498	12.2	10.8	1.4	1.57
1990	9,967	123,726	104,818	18,908	12.4	10.5	1.9	1.62
1991	10,004	126,068	105,150	20,918	12.6	10.5	2.1	1.57
1992	10,045	124,774	104,200	20,574	12.4	10.4	2.0	1.56
1993	10,084	120,998	108,170	12,828	12.0	10.7	1.3	1.61
1994	10,116	116,449	104,894	11,555	11.5	10.4	1.1	1.55
1995	10,137	115,638	105,933	9,705	11.4	10.5	1.0	1.57
1996	10,157	115,214	104,140	11,074	11.3	10.3	1.1	1.55
1997	10,181	115,864	103,802	12,062	11.4	10.2	1.2	1.60
1998	10,203	114,276	104,583	9,693	11.2	10.3	1.0	1.59
1999	10,226	113,469	104,904	8,565	11.1	10.3	0.8	1.62
2000	10,251	114,883	104,903	9,980	11.2	10.2	1.0	1.67
2001	10,278	114,172	103,447	10,725	11.1	10.1	1.0	1.66
2002	10,333	111,225	105,642	5,583	10.8	10.2	0.5	1.66
2003	10,376	112,149	107,039	5,110	10.8	10.3	0.5	1.63
2004	10,421	115,618	101,946	13,672	11.1	9.8	1.3	1.71
2005	10,479	118,002	103,278	14,724	11.3	9.9	1.4	1.75
2006	10,548	121,382	101,587	19,795	11.5	9.6	1.9	1.79
2007	10,626	120,663	100,658	20,005	11.4	9.5	1.9	1.78
2008	10,710	128,049	104,587	23,462	12.0	9.8	2.2	1.86
2009	10,796	127,297	104,509	22,788	11.8	9.7	2.1	1.85
2010	10,840	130,100	105,152	24,948	11.9	9.6	2.3	1.86
2011	10,951	128,678	104,247	24,431	11.6	9.5	2.1	1.81
2012	11,035	128,051	109,076	18,975	11.5	9.9	1.6	1.79
2013	11,099	125,606	109,334	16,272	11.2	9.8	1.4	1.75
2014	11,150	125,014	104,755	20,259	11.1	9.3	1.8	1.73
2015	11,209	122,274	110,541	11,733	10.9	9.8	1.1	1.68

Infant mortality rate

4.8 in 2010
3.4 in 2011

Total fertility rate

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.

Life expectancy

Male: 74.4 in 1999, 77.2 in 2009
Female: 80.9 in 1999, 82.4 in 2009
Total: 77.7 in 1999, 79.8 in 2009

Ethnic groups

The country is populated by a Flemish majority of about 6,400,000 people speaking Dutch, a Walloon minority of 4,100,000 people speaking French, as well as 73,000 German speaking people in Wallonia, near the German border. However, David Levinson reports that "the Flemish and Walloon groups are described by experts as "communities" rather than as ethnic groups, and individuals can move easily from one community to the other by learning to speak the other language".^[5]

The largest group of immigrants and their descendants in Belgium are Italians, with more than 450,000^[2] people, which is well over 4% of Belgium's total population. The Moroccans are the third-largest group, and the largest Muslim ethnic group, numbering 220,000.^[2][6]

The rest consists mostly of French-speaking people from Brussels, Turks, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spaniards, Greeks, Bosniaks, Algerians, Congolese, Vietnamese, Poles, Indians, and Guineans (around 23% of Belgium's population is of non-Belgian origin)^[7]

The exact number of French-speakers in Brussels is hard to determine, but it is estimated that 80% of the people living in Brussels use French and 20% use Dutch in their households, as the sole language or secondary language, while Arabic is also largely spoken. See the Brussels article for more details.

Languages

Belgium's three official languages are Dutch, spoken by 59% of the population, French, spoken by 40%, and German, spoken by less than 1%. The vast majority of Belgium's population, 99%, is literate as defined by the Belgian government, i.e. capable of reading and writing in an official language by the time a citizen has reached the age of 15.

Religion

Most, 58% of Belgians, are nominally Roman Catholic. Muslims, other Christians and other minority religions comprise 14% of the population. 27% are agnostic, atheist or other non-believer.^[8]

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

10,449,361 (July 2014 est.)

Age structure

Age structure:

0-14 years: 15.6% (male 830,980/female 797,624)

15-24 years: 11.7% (male 624,486/female 598,904)

25-54 years: 40.4% (male 2,131,869/female 2,086,212)

55-64 years: 13.3% (male 690,395/female 704,284)

65 years and over: 19% (male 836,685/female 1,147,922) (2014 est.)

0–14 years: 16.1% (male 857,373/female 822,303)
15–64 years: 66.3% (male 3,480,072/female 3,419,721)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 760,390/female 1,047,477) (2009 est.)

Median age

Total: 43.1 years

Male: 41.7 years

Female: 44.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate

0.05% (2014 est.)

Birth rate

11,9 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Death rate

10.76 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Net migration rate

1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Population pyramid of Belgium

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 79.92 years

Male: 76.76 years

Female: 83.22 years (2014 est.)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2003 est.)
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%

Education expenditures

6.6% of total GDP (2010)

country comparison to the world: 30

Nationality

noun: Belgian(s)
adjective: Belgian

See also

• Belgian nationality law
• Metropolitan areas in Belgium

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2008 edition".

1. Nationaal Instituut voor Statistiek
2. http://www.npdata.be/BuG/155-Vreemde-afkomst/Vreemde-afkomst.htm
3. http://www.npdata.be/BuG/159-Verkiezingen-2012/Verkiezingen-2012.htm
4. L'IMMIGRATION EN BELGIQUE. EFFECTIFS, MOUVEMENTS. ET MARCHE DU TRAVAIL. Rapport 2009. Direction générale Emploi et marché du travai
5. Levinson, David (1998). Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. p. 14. ISBN 1-57356-019-7.
6. Voor het eerst meer Marokkaanse dan Italiaanse migranten, hbvl.be, 21 May 2007
7. http://www.npdata.be/BuG/125-Vreemde-afkomst/
8. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_393_en.pdf