Belgium People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

11,913,633 (2023 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%

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

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

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

French audio sample:
Dutch audio sample:

Religions

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian, 2.8%, Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, nonbeliever/agnostic 20.2% (2018 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.03% (male 1,038,921/female 990,288)

15-64 years: 63.06% (male 3,788,406/female 3,724,202)

65 years and over: 19.91% (2023 est.) (male 1,049,402/female 1,322,414)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 56.5

youth dependency ratio: 26.1

elderly dependency ratio: 30.4

potential support ratio: 3.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 41.6 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 42.8 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.55% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

10.86 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.57 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

4.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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: 98.2% of total population (2023)

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

2.122 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.057 million Antwerp (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

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

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.2 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.15 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.58 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.06 years

male: 79.47 years

female: 84.79 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.86 (2023 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 (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

11.1% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

6.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

5.6 beds/1,000 population (2019)

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 (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 9.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 23.4% (2020 est.)

male: 25.8% (2020 est.)

female: 21% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1% (2014/15)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

43.2% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 20 years (2020)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 19.6%

male: 18.9%

female: 20.4% (2021 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Belgium on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Belgium 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Belgium 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.