108,150 births in 2024, the lowest level since 1942
With 108,150 births in 2024, the birth rate in Belgium registers a decrease of 1.9% compared to 2023 (110,198 births), confirming the downward trend that began after the peak in 2010. Furthermore, this level observed in 2024 is the lowest registered since 1942. Since records of the number of births began, only five years have recorded fewer births than 2024: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1941 and 1942, all years of war. Indeed, apart from a slight rebound in 2021, linked to post-COVID catch-up, the birth rate has continued to decline. This is what emerged from the latest figures on birth rates and fertility published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.
A general decline, but varying across regions
The decline affects the entire country, but to varying degrees: it is more pronounced in Wallonia (-3.9%) than in Brussels and Flanders, where it is limited to 1.1% and 0.9% respectively.
At national level, the total fertility rate (TFR[1] is estimated at 1.44 children per woman (versus 1.47 in 2023), with disparities according to nationality: 1.33 for women of Belgian nationality and 1.89 for women of foreign nationality. It is the lowest in the Brussels-Capital Region (1.34), while Wallonia and Flanders are closer to the national values, with a TFR of 1.43 and 1.48 children per woman respectively.
Later parenthood, especially in Brussels and the surrounding area
The average age at childbirth reached 31.4 years in 2024, while it rose to 34.3 years for fathers or co-parents.
In the Flemish Region, the average age of mothers is 31.3 years. It varies between 32.0 in Flemish Brabant, which is the highest age in the region, and 30.7 in West Flanders, where mothers are the youngest in Flanders. In Wallonia, the average is 31.1 years. Walloon Brabant stands out with 32.8 years, the national record, while Hainaut has the lowest figure: 30.6 years. In Brussels, mothers are on average 32.3 years old, making Brussels the region with the highest age at childbirth. Among fathers or co-parents, the hierarchy is similar: they are the oldest in Brussels (36.4 years), followed by Wallonia (34.1 years).They are the youngest in Flanders: 34.0 years.
[1] The total fertility rate is the average number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.
Purpose and brief description
The statistics on births and fertility are compiled based on two sources: the declaration forms for births at the municipal civil registry and the National Register. The first source is the most important and most extensive one. It provides a lot of information on all the children born in the country (de facto births) and on their parents. The second source is the fastest. However, it only provides information on the births of children whose mother is registered in the National Register. By combining these two sources and using the National Register as a basic source from 2010 on, the statistics only record live births to women residing legally in Belgium, regardless of whether these births take place in Belgium or abroad. These births are broken down according to the administrative units of the country, according to the main characteristics of the mother and according to certain characteristics of the newborn child. A number of fertility indicators can also be derived. It is therefore possible to position the level and evolution of the country’s demographic dynamics. The fertility rate by age is the ratio between the number of live births to women of a certain age and the average number of women of that age, for the given year. The total fertility rate (TFR) summarises the successive fertility rates by age and is the sum of those figures. The TFR is the number of children a woman would have in her reproductive years if she lived with the same fertility rate at each age...
Population
All live births
Periodicity
Annually.
Release calendar
Results available 1 year after the reference period
Definitions
Month of birth: Month of birth, from the date of birth
Child gender: Gender of the child
Place of birth: Place of delivery:
Twin birth: Total number of births, including stillbirths, following the pregnancy
Birth order of the child: Birth order of the child in all live births to the mother
Pregnancy duration: Duration of the pregnancy (in weeks) at the time of the birth
Type of childbirth: Type of help in childbirth
Birth defects: Presence of one or more birth defects
Weight: Weight (in grammes) of the child at birth
APGAR after 1 min: APGAR score after 1 minute.