Fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium
Belgium: Fertility and wanted fertility was 1.44 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.44
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
165th
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.71
in 1964
All-time low
1.44
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium is 1.44, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium peaked at 2.71 in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.44, in 2024.
That places Belgium 165th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.54 | — |
| 1961 | 2.63 | +3.5% |
| 1962 | 2.59 | -1.5% |
| 1963 | 2.68 | +3.5% |
| 1964 | 2.71 | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 2.61 | -3.7% |
| 1966 | 2.52 | -3.4% |
| 1967 | 2.41 | -4.4% |
| 1968 | 2.31 | -4.1% |
| 1969 | 2.27 | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 2.25 | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.21 | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 2.09 | -5.4% |
| 1973 | 1.95 | -6.7% |
| 1974 | 1.83 | -6.2% |
| 1975 | 1.74 | -4.9% |
| 1976 | 1.73 | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 1.71 | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 1.69 | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 1.69 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.68 | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 1.66 | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 1.61 | -3.0% |
| 1983 | 1.57 | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 1.54 | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 1.51 | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 1.54 | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 1.54 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.57 | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 1.58 | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 1.62 | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.66 | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 1.65 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 1.61 | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 1.56 | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.56 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.59 | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 1.6 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.6 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.62 | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.67 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 1.67 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.65 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 1.67 | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.72 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 1.76 | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 1.8 | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.82 | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 1.85 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 1.84 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.86 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.81 | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 1.8 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 1.76 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 1.74 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.7 | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 1.68 | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 1.65 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.62 | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1.55 | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 1.6 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 1.53 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 1.47 | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 1.44 | -2.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 1.44 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45, 99% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 1.44 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.44, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.53 | 2.27 | 2.71 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.89 | 1.69 | 2.25 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.58 | 1.51 | 1.68 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.61 | 1.56 | 1.66 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.74 | 1.65 | 1.85 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.72 | 1.6 | 1.86 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.52 | 1.44 | 1.6 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More population data for Belgium
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.1094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0945 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 12,091 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2011 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.0085 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.166 (2100)
- Population density 365.29 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 461,216 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium?
- Fertility and wanted fertility in Belgium was 1.44 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2.71 in 1964.
- What is the lowest fertility and wanted fertility recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.44 in 2024.
- How does Belgium rank for fertility and wanted fertility?
- Belgium ranks 165th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility and wanted fertility rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility and wanted fertility. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).