Belgium Population 2024
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Western Europe. It’s the most high-density populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe. Belgium is the 11th most populated country in Europe. According to Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, on January 1, 2021, the legal Belgian population was 11,521,238 inhabitants. In the past year, the Belgian population grew by 28,597 inhabitants, or 0.25%.
As per the World Population Prospects, by the United Nations, the population of Belgium in 2024 is 11,715,774 (11.7 million)
Source: Statbel, the Belgian statistical
Belgium Demography
| Belgium | 2024 Population |
| Total Population | 11,715,774 (11.7 million) |
| Europe Rank | 11 |
| Land Area | 30,278 sq. km (11,690 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 33 |
| Pop. Density | 383 people/sq. km (991/sq. mi.) |
| Fertility Rate | 1.71 |
| Median Age | 41.9 Years |
| Life Expectancy | 82.17 years |
| Urban Population | 98.3 % |
| Capital City | Brussels |
Source: Statbel, the Belgian Statistical
Religion in Belgium
Christianity is the largest religion in Belgium, followed by 69.4% of the population. The largest Christian denomination is Roman Catholics (54%), Next comes Protestants (3%), Eastern Orthodoxy (1%), and Other Christians at 2%
Non-Christian faiths account for 9%, and the remaining 21% are classified as unaffiliated, which can mean agnostic, atheist, or “nothing in particular.”
Islam is the second largest religion in Belgium, followed by 5% of the Belgium population. Other Religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jews, and smaller faiths.
Religion in Belgium
| Religion | Percent % |
| Christians | 69.40% |
| – Roman Catholic | -54% |
| – Protestant | -3% |
| – Orthodoxy | -1% |
| – Other Christians | -2% |
| Irreligious | 21% |
| Other Religions | |
| – Muslim | 5% |
| – Buddhist | 0.30% |
| – Jews | 0.30% |
| – Hinduism | 0.20% |
| – Smaller Faiths | 3.80% |
Belgium Historical Population
Belgium’s population has seen steady growth over the century. It rose from 6 million in 1990 & reached 11.5 million in 2021. The population growth rate slowed down in the 1970s but in the past two decades, it again posted a steady growth. Population rise in recent years can be attributed to immigration in recent years.
Let’s look at the population of Belgium from the Year 1846 to 2021
| Year | Population | Percentage Change |
| 1846 | 4,337,196 | — |
| 1856 | 4,529,460 | 4.40% |
| 1866 | 4,827,833 | 6.60% |
| 1876 | 5,336,185 | 10.50% |
| 1880 | 5,520,009 | 3.40% |
| 1890 | 6,069,321 | 10.00% |
| 1900 | 6,693,548 | 10.30% |
| 1910 | 7,423,784 | 10.90% |
| 1920 | 7,465,782 | 0.60% |
| 1930 | 8,092,004 | 8.40% |
| 1947 | 8,512,195 | 5.20% |
| 1961 | 9,189,741 | 8.00% |
| 1970 | 9,650,944 | 5.00% |
| 1981 | 9,848,647 | 2.00% |
| 1991 | 9,978,681 | 1.30% |
| 2001 | 10,296,350 | 3.20% |
| 2011 | 11,000,638 | 6.80% |
| 2021 | 11,521,238 | 4.70% |
Source: Statistics Belgium
Belgium Population by Province
Flemish region is the most populated region of Belgium followed by Wallon & Antwerp. Among 1o Provinces, Antwerp is most populated followed by East Flanders & Hainaut.
The province of Luxembourg was the fastest-growing province in Belgium in 2020 with a growth of 0.69%. followed by Walloon Region (0.34%) and Namur (0.25%). In the Flemish Region, Flemish Brabant was again the province with the largest growth in 2020 at 0.54%. The provinces of East Flanders (0.43%), Limburg (0.35%), and Antwerp (0.31%) follow positions 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The slowest growing province in Flanders in 2020 was West Flanders with a growth of 0.20%.
The population of Belgium by regions
| # | Region | Population (Jan 1, 2021) |
| 1 | Flemish region | 6,653,062 |
| 2 | Walloon Region | 3,648,206 |
| 6 | Brussels Capital Region | 1,219,970 |
The population of Belgium by provinces
| # | Province | Population (Jan 1, 2021) |
| 1 | Antwerp | 1,875,524 |
| 2 | East Flanders | 1,531,745 |
| 3 | Hainaut | 1,345,947 |
| 4 | West Flanders | 1,203,312 |
| 5 | Flemish Brabant | 1,162,084 |
| 6 | Liege | 1,109,067 |
| 7 | Province of Limburg | 880,397 |
| 8 | Namur | 497,073 |
| 9 | Walloon Brabant | 407,397 |
| 10 | Luxembourg | 288,722 |
| – | Brussels Capital Region | 1,219,970 |
Source: Statbel, the Belgian statistical & UN World Population Prospects
Top Cities in Belgium by Population
| # | City | Region | Popultion |
| 1 | Antwerp | Flanders | 5,23,248 |
| 2 | Ghent | Flanders | 2,60,341 |
| 3 | Charleroi | Wallonia | 2,01,816 |
| 4 | Liège | Wallonia | 1,97,355 |
| 5 | City of Brussels | Brussels | 1,79,277 |
| 6 | Schaerbeek | Brussels | 1,33,010 |
| 7 | Anderlecht | Brussels | 1,18,382 |
| 8 | Bruges | Flanders | 1,18,284 |
| 9 | Namur | Wallonia | 1,10,939 |
| 10 | Leuven | Flanders | 1,01,396 |
| 11 | Sint-Jans-Molenbeek | Brussels | 97,005 |
| 12 | Mons | Wallonia | 95,299 |
| 13 | Ixelles | Brussels | 86,513 |
| 14 | Mechelen | Flanders | 86,304 |
| 15 | Aalst | Flanders | 85,715 |
| 16 | Uccle | Brussels | 82,275 |
| 17 | La Louvière | Wallonia | 80,637 |
| 18 | Hasselt | Flanders | 77,651 |
| 19 | Sint-Niklaas | Flanders | 76,756 |
| 20 | Kortrijk | Flanders | 76,265 |
Belgian Diaspora
People of Belgian ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. As per estimates, there are One million Begian diasporas around the world.
As per the US Census 2020, Belgian ancestry is estimated at 348 thousand people. It also forms an important minority Group in Canada (176,615), Brazil, and Mexico.
read more about Belgian Ancestry in America
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