Belgium People - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

11,778,842 (July 2021 est.)

Nationality

noun: Belgian(s)

adjective: Belgian

Ethnic groups

Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)

Languages

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%

printed major-language sample:
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)

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) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 57

youth dependency ratio: 26.7

elderly dependency ratio: 30.2

potential support ratio: 3.3 (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 41.6 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 42.8 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.59% (2021 est.)

Birth rate

11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate

9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate

4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution

most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas

Urbanization

urban population: 98.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.2 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.65 years

male: 79.02 years

female: 84.4 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.7% (2018)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

10.3% (2018)

Physicians density

3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

N/A

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

N/A

HIV/AIDS - deaths

N/A

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2016)

Education expenditures

6.4% of GDP (2017)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 20 years

male: 19 years

female: 21 years (2018)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 14.2%

male: 16%

female: 12.3% (2019 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1% (2014/15)

NOTE: The information regarding Belgium on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belgium 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belgium 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.