| Demographics of Brussels | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of Brussels in 2022 | |
| Population | 1,222,657 (2022) |
| Growth rate | 0.22% (2021) |
| Fertility rate | 1.7 children per woman (2019) |
The demographics of Brussels are monitored by Statistics Belgium. Brussels' population is currently 1,222,657 as of 2022. [1]
The population of Brussels (officially the Brussels Capital Region) in 2022 was 1,222,637 [1] In recent years, the city has witnessed a remarkable increase in its population. In general, the population of Brussels is younger than the national average, and the gap between rich and poor is wider.
The population growth rate within Brussels for 2021 was 0.22%. [1]
The density of Brussels is also high, Brussels is one of the most urbanised areas of Europe.
The life expectancy is Brussels is 79.61 years of age in 2020. [2]
| Life expectancy in Brussels [2] | Years | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Total | 77.46 | 77.94 | 79.04 | 79.7 | 80.86 | 81.59 | 79.61 |
| Men | 73.96 | 74.62 | 75.99 | 76.92 | 78.11 | 79.08 | 76.93 |
| Women | 80.54 | 80.89 | 81.76 | 82.73 | 83.36 | 83.86 | 82.19 |
The total fertility rate within Brussels in 2019 is 1.7 children per woman. [3]
| Total fertility rate within Brussels | Year [3] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1976 | 1981 | 1986 | 1991 | 1996 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2019 | |
| 1.98 | 1.66 | 1.71 | 1.76 | 1.8 | 1.79 | 2.03 | 2.11 | 1.96 | 1.82 | 1.7 | |
The total number of births in Brussels is declining.
| Total number of births in Brussels [3] | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Births | 17,709 | 17,377 | 16,854 | 15,847 | 15,690 |
The average age of which a mother gives birth has been consistently rising since figures go back to 1998
| Age of motherhood [3] | Year | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| First birth | 26.8 | 28 | 28 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 28.7 | 29.1 | 29.2 | 29.8 | 30.1 | 30.2 | 30.5 |
| Average age of childbearing overall | 29.5 | 29.7 | 29.7 | 30 | 30.2 | 30.5 | 30.7 | 31 | 31.4 | 31.6 | 31.9 | 32.1 |
The average age of Brussels is much lower than on average the rest of Belgium.
| Brussels [1] | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Less the 18 years | 18 to 64 | 65 years or more | |
| Population | 273,645 | 788,876 | 160,116 |
Today, the Brussels-Capital Region is legally bilingual, with both French and Dutch having official status, [5] as is the administration of the 19 municipalities. [6]
Owing to migration and to its international role, Brussels is home to a large number of native speakers of languages other than French or Dutch. Currently, about half of the population speaks a home language other than these two. [7] In 2013, academic research showed that approximately 17% of families spoke none of the official languages in the home, while in a further 23% a foreign language was used alongside French. The share of unilingual French-speaking families had fallen to 38% and that of Dutch-speaking families to 5%, while the percentage of bilingual Dutch-French families reached 17%. At the same time, French remains widely spoken: in 2013, French was spoken "well to perfectly" by 88% of the population, while for Dutch this percentage was only 23% (down from 33% in 2000); [6] the other most commonly known languages were English (30%), Arabic (18%), Spanish (9%), German (7%) and Italian and Turkish (5% each). [4] Despite the rise of English as a second language in Brussels, including as an unofficial compromise language between French and Dutch, as well as the working language for some of its international businesses and institutions, French remains the lingua franca and all public services are conducted exclusively in French or Dutch.
Historically, Brussels has been predominantly Roman Catholic, especially since the expulsion of Protestants in the 16th century. This is clear from the large number of historical churches in the region, particularly in the City of Brussels. The pre-eminent Catholic cathedral in Brussels is the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, serving as the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels. On the north-western side of the region, the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a Minor Basilica and parish church, as well as the 14th largest church building in the world. The Church of Our Lady of Laeken holds the tombs of many members of the Belgian royal family, including all the former Belgian monarchs, within the Royal Crypt.
In reflection of its multicultural makeup, Brussels hosts a variety of religious communities, as well as large numbers of atheists and agnostics. Minority faiths include Islam, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, and Buddhism. A 2016 survey revealed that approximately 40% of Brussels residents identified as Catholics (12% practicing and 28% non-practicing), 30% as non-religious, 23% as Muslim (19% practicing and 3% non-practicing), 3% as Protestants (2% born-again, primarily Pentecostals and some Evangelicals, and 1% from mainline Protestantism), and 4% adhered to other religions. Among born-again Protestants, 93% were practicing (98% of Pentecostals and 86% of Evangelicals), whereas only 29% of mainline Protestants were practicing Christians, with 71% non-practicing. [8] [9]
As guaranteed by Belgian law, recognised religions and non-religious philosophical organisations (French: organisations laïques, Dutch: vrijzinnige levensbeschouwelijke organisaties) [10] enjoy public funding and school courses. It was once the case that every pupil in an official school from 6 years old to 18 had to choose 2 hours per week of compulsory religious—or non-religious-inspired morals—courses. However, in 2015, the Belgian Constitutional court ruled religious studies could no longer be required in the primary and secondary educational systems. [11]
Brussels has a large concentration of Muslims, mostly of Moroccan, Syrian and Iraqi ancestry. The Great Mosque of Brussels, located in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark, is the oldest mosque in Brussels. Belgium does not collect statistics by ethnic background or religious beliefs, so exact figures are unknown. It was estimated that, in 2005, people of Muslim background living in the Brussels Region numbered 256,220 and accounted for 25.5% of the city's population, a much higher concentration than those of the other regions of Belgium. [12]
Belgium does not collect ethnic data of its citizens but does have a unique classification on the status of where its citizens originate from. This classification is not based on the place of birth, but takes into account previous nationalities of the person and of their parents. [13]
In 2020, 67,9% of the residents of Belgium at large were of Belgian origin (i.e., the resident had no previous nationality other than Belgian and both of their parents have the Belgian nationality as first nationality), and 32,1% were of overall foreign origin. Of these foreign origin residents, 14,7% were of non-European origin and 8,5% were of African origin. [13]
A total of 37.5% of Brussels residents are of non-European origin as of 2023, according to Statistics Belgium. [14]
In 2020, among those aged under 18, 83,9% had at least one parent of non-Belgian origin and of those 60,1% of non-European origin (including 37% of African origin). [13]
| Group of origin | Year | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 [15] | 2006 [15] | 2011 [15] | 2016 [15] | 2023 [15] | ||||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| Belgians with Belgian background | 486,864 | 50.5% | 433,338 | 42.5% | 385,436 | 34.4% | 342,026 | 28.9% | 289,871 | 23.4% |
| Belgians with foreign background [fn 1] | 214,770 | 22.2% | 311,773 | 30.6% | 381,308 | 34.1% | 434,789 | 36.6% | 493,152 | 39.7% |
| Neighbouring country [fn 2] | 27,024 | 28,386 | 30,215 | 32,463 | 37,524 | |||||
| Other EU | 34,211 | 38,468 | 42,395 | 47,531 | 55,249 | |||||
| Other Europe | 25,505 | 39,154 | 46,513 | 50,384 | 51,087 | |||||
| Non-European | 118,054 | 12.2% | 192,235 | 246,431 | 287,598 | 328,719 | 26.5% | |||
| Not classified | 9,976 | 13,530 | 15,754 | 16,813 | 20,573 | |||||
| Non-Belgians | 262,771 | 27.2% | 273,693 | 26.9% | 352,344 | 31.5% | 411,075 | 34.6% | 458,152 | 36.9% |
| Neighbouring country [fn 3] | 55,613 | 62,721 | 76,482 | 85,953 | 91,520 | |||||
| Other EU | 87,602 | 97,320 | 136,090 | 173,082 | 186,589 | |||||
| Other Europe | 20,095 | 17,798 | 21,337 | 21,326 | 34,426 | |||||
| Non-European | 95,147 | 9.9% | 90,769 | 112,507 | 124,230 | 136,016 | 11% | |||
| Not classified | 4,314 | 5,085 | 5,928 | 6,484 | 9,601 | |||||
| Total | 964,405 | 100% | 1,018,804 | 100% | 1,119,088 | 100% | 1,187,890 | 100% | 1,241,175 | 100% |
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. It covers an area of 30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.7 million. With 383/km2 (990/sq mi), Belgium's population density ranks 22nd in the world and 6th in Europe. Belgium is part of an area known as the Low Countries, historically a somewhat larger region than the Benelux group of states, as it also included parts of northern France. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south.
Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics, and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish, which can also refer to the collective of Dutch dialects spoken in that area, or more generally the Belgian variant of Standard Dutch.
Demographic features of the population of Luxembourg include population density, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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.
Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven. It has an area of 2,118 km2 (818 sq mi) which is divided into two administrative districts containing 65 municipalities. As of January 2024, Flemish Brabant had a population of over 1.19 million.
Wallonia, officially the Walloon Region, is one of the three regions of Belgium—along with Flanders and Brussels. Covering the southern portion of the country, Wallonia is primarily French-speaking. It accounts for 55% of Belgium's territory, but only a third of its population. The Walloon Region and the French Community of Belgium, which is the political entity responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, are independent concepts, because the French Community of Belgium encompasses both Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region but not the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities and three regions that are based on four language areas. For each of these subdivision types, the subdivisions together make up the entire country; in other words, the types overlap.
Etterbeek is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the municipalities of Auderghem, the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
Beersel is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of the centre of Brussels. The municipality comprises the towns of Alsemberg, Beersel proper, Dworp, Huizingen and Lot. On 1 January 2023, Beersel had a total population of 26.473. The total area is 30.01 km2 (11.59 sq mi), which gives a population density of 856/km2 (2,220/sq mi).
Grimbergen is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium, 10 km (6.2 mi) north of the capital Brussels. The municipality comprises the towns of Beigem, Grimbergen, Humbeek, and Strombeek-Bever. In 2017, Grimbergen had a total population of 37,030. The total area is 38.61 km2 (14.91 sq mi), which gives a population density of 959/km2 (2,480/sq mi).
Vilvoorde is a Belgian city and municipality in the Halle-Vilvoorde district (arrondissement) of the province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie.
Schaerbeek or Schaarbeek is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-eastern part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Etterbeek, Evere and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch).
The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Region and Belgium. The City of Brussels is also the administrative centre of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.
In Belgium, the French Community refers to one of the three constituent constitutional linguistic communities. Since 2011, the French Community has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which is controversial because its name in the Belgian Constitution has not changed and because it is seen as a political statement. The name "French Community" refers to Francophone Belgians, and not to French people residing in Belgium. As such, the French Community of Belgium is sometimes rendered in English as "the French-speaking Community of Belgium" for clarity, in analogy to the German-speaking Community of Belgium.
The Flemish Region, usually simply referred to as Flanders, is one of the three regions of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Covering the northern portion of the country, the Flemish Region is primarily Dutch-speaking. With an area of 13,626 km2 (5,261 sq mi), it accounts for only 45% of Belgium's territory, but 58% of its population. It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around 500/km2 (1,300/sq mi).
Christianity is the largest religion in Belgium, with the Catholic Church representing the largest community, though it has experienced a significant decline since the 1950s. Belgium's policy separates the state from the churches, and freedom of religion of the citizens is guaranteed by the country's constitution.
Belgians are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority of Belgians, however, belong to two distinct linguistic groups or communities native to the country, i.e. its historical regions: Flemings in Flanders, who speak Dutch, West Flemish and Limburgish; and Walloons in Wallonia, who speak French or Walloon. There is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, which has settled primarily in the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.
In 2022, the constitution of Belgium provides for freedom of religion. The law prohibits discrimination based on religious orientation; however federal law bans face-coverings being worn in public.
The demographics of Antwerp are monitored by Statistics Belgium. The population of the city as of 2022 is currently 530,630.
La Belgique comprend quatre régions linguistiques : la région de langue française, la région de langue néerlandaise, la région bilingue de Bruxelles-Capitale et la région de langue allemande..
Meer dan de helft van de Brusselse bevolking is van vreemde afkomst. In 1961 was dat slechts 7 procent. [More than half of the Brussels' population is of foreign origin. In 1961 this was only 7 percent.]
In België wonen 628.751 moslims(Berekend aantal), 6,0% van de bevolking. In Brussel is dit 25,5%, in Wallonië 4,0%, in Vlaanderen 3,9% [In Belgium there are 628,751 Muslims (Calculated number), 6.0% of the population. In Brussels this is 25.5%, in Wallonia 4.0%, in Flanders 3.9%.]