Belgium Population (1960-2026) & Projected decline

The current population of Belgium is 11,902,714 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 11,858,610 in 2024.

Belgium is projected to reach 12M people in 2045.
Belgium accounts for 0.14% of the world's population.
For the last 20 years, Belgium has had an average growth rate of 0.64% per year.
Belgium is ranked 83/197 by population and was ranked 77th in 2006.
Since 2006, population has increased from 10.5M people to 11.9M (12.8% growth in 20 years).

Belgium population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	11,193,616	-0.16%
2099	11,211,908	-0.16%
2098	11,230,002	-0.14%
2097	11,246,180	-0.14%
2096	11,261,636	-0.14%
2095	11,277,513	-0.15%
2094	11,293,934	-0.14%
2093	11,309,421	-0.14%
2092	11,325,500	-0.13%
2091	11,339,887	-0.13%
2090	11,354,304	-0.13%
2089	11,368,748	-0.13%
2088	11,384,019	-0.14%
2087	11,399,441	-0.13%
2086	11,413,731	-0.12%
2085	11,427,305	-0.12%
2084	11,441,192	-0.12%
2083	11,454,476	-0.13%
2082	11,468,827	-0.11%
2081	11,480,917	-0.12%
2080	11,494,860	-0.11%
2079	11,507,804	-0.12%
2078	11,522,057	-0.11%
2077	11,534,819	-0.1%
2076	11,546,262	-0.1%
2075	11,558,154	-0.11%
2074	11,571,164	-0.11%
2073	11,584,391	-0.11%
2072	11,597,605	-0.12%
2071	11,611,079	-0.14%
2070	11,627,079	-0.14%
2069	11,643,296	-0.15%
2068	11,660,663	-0.15%
2067	11,677,909	-0.16%
2066	11,696,417	-0.17%
2065	11,716,114	-0.18%
2064	11,736,957	-0.19%
2063	11,758,738	-0.19%
2062	11,780,812	-0.2%
2061	11,804,421	-0.18%
2060	11,825,799	-0.18%
2059	11,847,336	-0.17%
2058	11,867,449	-0.19%
2057	11,890,466	-0.18%
2056	11,911,901	-0.17%
2055	11,931,594	-0.16%
2054	11,950,146	-0.15%
2053	11,968,395	-0.14%
2052	11,984,694	-0.11%
2051	11,998,099	-0.09%
2050	12,008,766	-0.08%
2049	12,017,817	-0.06%
2048	12,024,879	-0.04%
2047	12,029,815	-0.03%
2046	12,032,975	-0.01%
2045	12,034,718	0.005%
2044	12,034,116	0.01%
2043	12,032,908	0.02%
2042	12,030,714	0.03%
2041	12,026,814	0.03%
2040	12,023,124	0.04%
2039	12,018,547	0.05%
2038	12,012,586	0.06%
2037	12,005,650	0.05%
2036	11,999,298	0.05%
2035	11,992,761	0.06%
2034	11,985,730	0.07%
2033	11,977,334	0.07%
2032	11,969,302	0.07%
2031	11,960,910	0.08%
2030	11,951,381	0.1%
2029	11,939,712	0.11%
2028	11,927,038	0.11%
2027	11,913,457	0.12%
2026	11,898,731	0.15%
2025	11,881,020	0.19%
2024	11,858,610	0.67%
2023	11,779,946	0.85%
2022	11,680,210	0.81%
2021	11,586,195	0.41%
2020	11,538,604	0.43%
2019	11,488,980	0.54%
2018	11,427,054	0.46%
2017	11,375,158	0.39%
2016	11,331,422	0.51%
2015	11,274,196	0.58%
2014	11,209,057	0.44%
2013	11,159,407	0.47%
2012	11,106,932	0.62%
2011	11,038,264	1.31%
2010	10,895,586	0.92%
2009	10,796,493	0.81%
2008	10,709,973	0.79%
2007	10,625,700	0.74%
2006	10,547,958	0.66%
2005	10,478,617	0.55%
2004	10,421,137	0.43%
2003	10,376,133	0.42%
2002	10,332,785	0.45%
2001	10,286,570	0.34%
2000	10,251,250	0.24%
1999	10,226,419	0.23%
1998	10,203,008	0.21%
1997	10,181,245	0.24%
1996	10,156,637	0.2%
1995	10,136,811	0.21%
1994	10,115,603	0.31%
1993	10,084,475	0.39%
1992	10,045,158	0.41%
1991	10,004,486	0.37%
1990	9,967,379	0.3%
1989	9,937,697	0.36%
1988	9,901,664	0.32%
1987	9,870,234	0.09%
1986	9,861,823	0.04%
1985	9,858,308	0.03%
1984	9,855,372	-0.002%
1983	9,855,520	-0.008%
1982	9,856,303	-0.03%
1981	9,858,982	-0.003%
1980	9,859,242	0.11%
1979	9,848,382	0.09%
1978	9,839,534	0.09%
1977	9,830,358	0.12%
1976	9,818,227	0.18%
1975	9,800,700	0.29%
1974	9,772,419	0.32%
1973	9,741,720	0.32%
1972	9,711,115	0.39%
1971	9,673,162	0.18%
1970	9,655,549	0.1%
1969	9,646,032	0.28%
1968	9,618,756	0.39%
1967	9,580,991	0.56%
1966	9,527,807	0.68%
1965	9,463,667	0.91%
1964	9,378,113	0.95%
1963	9,289,770	0.75%
1962	9,220,578	0.4%
1961	9,183,948	0.33%
1960	9,153,489	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/belgium | CC BY

Belgium has a population of 11.9M as of 2026, compared to 11.3M in 2016, 10.5M in 2006, and 10.2M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 0.5% per year. Belgium is ranked 134th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Belgium will have 12,032,975 people (1.09% growth) with a rank change from 83rd to 92nd.

By the year 2100, Belgium's population is projected to decline by 5.96% from its current level to 11.2M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	31,989
2024	-	-	36,243
2023	41,679	0	41,679
2022	116,279	-2,336	118,615
2021	29,810	5,793	24,017
2020	31,085	-12,692	43,777
2019	66,511	8,042	58,469
2018	58,603	7,999	50,604
2017	48,219	10,238	37,981
2016	42,821	14,731	28,090
2015	74,810	11,274	63,536
2014	58,769	21,297	37,472
2013	44,805	16,739	28,066
2012	63,883	18,882	45,001
2011	77,852	25,388	52,464
2010	129,202	23,970	105,232
2009	120,927	23,752	97,175
2008	88,961	22,491	66,470
2007	83,287	23,376	59,911
2006	74,670	21,096	53,574
2005	66,294	15,718	50,576
2004	51,816	16,673	35,143
2003	41,735	7,263	34,472
2002	46,637	7,233	39,404
2001	46,239	11,315	34,924
2000	26,254	12,302	13,952
1999	26,052	9,203	16,849
1998	21,700	9,183	12,517
1997	22,480	12,218	10,262
1996	27,872	12,188	15,684
1995	13,087	11,150	1,937
1994	29,775	12,139	17,636
1993	32,660	14,118	18,542
1992	46,031	20,090	25,941
1991	49,048	22,010	27,038
1990	28,234	19,935	8,299
1989	21,213	13,912	7,301
1988	18,782	14,853	3,929
1987	15,369	11,844	3,525
1986	8,881	5,917	2,964
1985	5,123	2,958	2,165
1984	6,624	4,927	1,697
1983	4,208	2,956	1,252
1982	8,985	7,885	1,100
1981	14,657	11,831	2,826
1980	22,327	10,845	11,482
1979	23,095	11,818	11,277
1978	18,700	7,872	10,828
1977	19,307	8,847	10,460
1976	12,324	1,964	10,360
1975	9,652	0	9,652
1974	16,742	7,818	8,924
1973	20,374	11,690	8,684
1972	26,835	18,451	8,384
1971	29,273	21,281	7,992
1970	42,566	23,173	19,393
1969	41,293	21,221	20,072
1968	40,008	20,199	19,809
1967	51,110	31,618	19,492
1966	55,191	36,206	18,985
1965	57,991	39,748	18,243
1964	69,267	51,580	17,687
1963	58,159	41,804	16,355
1962	57,243	42,414	14,829
1961	62,915	52,349	10,566
1960	50,168	40,275	9,893

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/belgium | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 11.3% of the population change in Belgium is from natural causes (a gain of 64,346 people) and 88.7% is from migration (a gain of 504,240 people).

As of 2024, 2,349,032 residents or 20% of the population were not native-born in Belgium, compared to 1,567,639 and 14.3% in 2010.

Belgium population clock

	Belgium	Rank
Current population	11902714	83/197
Percent of world population	0.14%	83/197
One net population change	6.68 minutes	97/197
One birth every	4.75 minutes	103/196
One death every	4.75 minutes	78/196
Daily growth/decline	+216	97/197
Annual growth/decline	+78,664	97/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+0.67%	119/197
One migration net change every	16.5 minutes	28/196
Annual migration change	+31,989	28/196
Foreign-born residents	2,349,032	30/195
Foreign-born share of population	20%	30/195

Largest cities by population

Belgium
City	Population
Brussels	1.25M
Antwerp	529K
Ghent	273K
Charleroi	204K
Liege	195K
Schaerbeek	133K
Anderlecht	121K
Bruges	119K
Namur	115K
Leuven	101K

Belgium population statistics

	Belgium	World
Life expectancy	82.6 years	73.8 years
Average age	42.5 years	33.8 years
Median age	42.7 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.3:50.7	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	1.47 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	1,011 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Belgium.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/belgium | CC BY