The share of the foreign-born population is calculated as the ratio between this population and the total population, except for persons whose country of birth is “not stated”.
Just under 18% of the population living in Belgium is foreign-born. This percentage varies from 14% in Flanders to 15% in Wallonia and 46% in the Brussels-Capital Region. In the Brussels municipalities of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Saint-Gilles, Ixelles and Etterbeek, the majority of residents were born abroad. Outside Brussels, foreign-born inhabitants are particularly represented in big cities (Liège, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi) and in the border regions.
The share of the population born in an EU country (excluding Belgium) is calculated as the ratio between this population and the total population, except for persons whose country of birth is “not stated”.
Nearly 8% of residents in Belgium were born in another EU country.
19% of the Brussels population was born in another EU country than Belgium. This figure is only 8% in Wallonia and just over 5% in Flanders. In the Brussels-Capital Region, the highest percentages are observed in the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Etterbeek and Saint-Gilles: nearly 1 inhabitant out of 3 was born in another EU country.
Municipalities where this percentage is the highest are located along the borders. The municipality of Raeren is first with 55% of its inhabitants born in another EU country. This percentage amounts to 40% in La Calamine, a municipality also located in the east of the province of Liège. At the French border, high percentages are observed in Estaimpuis (37%) and Comines-Warneton (33%). Along the border with the Netherlands, Baerle-Duc also registers a high percentage (46%).
The share of the population born in a non-EU country is calculated as the ratio between this population and the total population, except for persons whose country of birth is “not stated”.
Just under 10% of the population living in Belgium was born outside the European Union. This percentage is only 8% in Flanders and 7% in Wallonia, but above 27% in the Brussels-Capital Region.
In Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and the City of Brussels, more than 1 inhabitant out of 3 was born in a non-EU country. The other big cities of the country also stand out with figures above the national average. So, 23% of the population of Antwerp and 20% of the population of Liège was born outside of the European Union.
This indicator shows the share of the population whose usual residence was abroad and who last arrived in the 30 years prior to the Census (in 1990 or after for 2021, and in 1980 and after for 2011). The citizenship of the population is not taken into account.
Slightly more than 16% of the total population on 1 January 2021 arrived in Belgium between 1990 and 2020. This percentage is just over 13% in Flanders and Wallonia and amounts to 42% in the Brussels-Capital Region. The main cities, both in the north and south of the country, stand out with high figures. Municipalities on the Dutch or German border also show high percentages.
This indicator represents the share of the total population who moved in the current dwelling in 2020.
Slightly more than 10% of the population on 1 January 2021 lived at another address one year earlier. This former home can be in the same municipality or in another municipality, in Belgium or abroad.
In Flanders and Wallonia, 10% of the population moved in its current dwelling in 2020. This percentage amounts to 14% in the Brussels-Capital Region.
The map clearly shows that big cities, the coast and the south of Belgium (from Chimay to Vielsalm) have higher figures.
The Census 2021 in a nutshell
The Census 2021 is a snapshot of the population living in Belgium on 1 January 2021. It provides a wide range of figures on housing and demographic, socio-economic and educational characteristics of the citizens. The objective of the Census is twofold: to comply with the European regulation[1] and to produce statistics to address national specific needs (public services, international organizations, researchers, enterprises and private individuals).
Previously based on an exhaustive survey of all citizens, since 2011 the Census has been based exclusively on the use of administrative databases.
Definitions
The various statistical units
Population
The population taken into account for the Census 2021 is the residential population, as registered in the National Register of Natural Persons (RNPP) on 1 January 2021. The Belgian population includes Belgians and non-Belgians who have been allowed or authorised to settle or to stay in Belgium but does not include non-Belgians living on the territory for less than three months, asylum seekers and non-Belgians in an illegal situation[2].
Private households
This group includes people living alone in a dwelling and groups of several people living in the same dwelling and providing themselves with essentials for living.
Family nuclei
A family nucleus is defined as two or more persons who belong to the same household and who are related as husband and wife, as partners in a registered partnership, as partners in a consensual union, or as parent and child.
Living quarters
Living quarters refer to all quarters used as the usual residence of one or several persons.
Conventional dwellings
Conventional dwellings are separate units (surrounded by walls and covered by a roof) that are independent (with a direct access from the street or a staircase, passage) and designed to be used as a permanent dwelling.
Occupied conventional dwellings
Occupied conventional dwellings are conventional dwellings used as the usual residence of one or several private households.
Variables and their description
Sex
This variable is used to distinguish men from women.
Age
The age reached in completed years of age on 1 January 2021.
Place of usual residence
The place of residence is that registered in the National Register on 1 January 2021. So this is the place of legal residence.
The Belgian municipalities have changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons shown on this website, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021.
Locality
A locality is defined as a distinct population cluster, that is an area defined by population living in neighbouring or contiguous buildings. This area constitutes a group of buildings, none of which is separated from its nearest neighbour by more than 200 meters.
The Belgian municipalities have changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons shown on this website, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021.
Country/place of birth
This information refers to the place where the birth took place.
Information relating to the country of birth is collected based on international borders as they existed on 1 January 2021.
Ever resided abroad and year of arrival in the country
The year of arrival shall be the calendar year in which a person most recently established legal residence in Belgium. The year of the most recent arrival in the country shall be reported rather than the year of first arrival.
Moving one year prior to the census
All persons that have changed their usual residence more than once within the year 2020 are classified according to their previous place of usual residence, i.e. the place of usual residence from which they moved to their current place of usual residence.
Remark
The comparison with the previous Census requires some caution: this publication is based on the Belgian population and the Census 2011 has as reference the European definition of the population.
Information on the difference between the Belgian population and the Census 2011 population.
[1] COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2017/543 of 22 March 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns.
[2]Information on the difference between the Belgian population and the Census 2011 population.