Birth rate in Belgium
Belgium: Birth rate was 8.68 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Birth rate in Belgium, 1841–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in Belgium is 8.68 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 179 years on record.
The figure is down 11.2% on the previous year and down 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in Belgium peaked at 33.81 births per 1,000 people in 1874 and was at its lowest, 8.68 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Belgium 196th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 179 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 30.36 births per 1,000 people | 27.24 births per 1,000 people | 33.18 births per 1,000 people | 9 |
| 1850s | 30.31 births per 1,000 people | 27.97 births per 1,000 people | 32.64 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 32.11 births per 1,000 people | 30.96 births per 1,000 people | 32.81 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 32.96 births per 1,000 people | 31.59 births per 1,000 people | 33.81 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1880s | 30.67 births per 1,000 people | 29.69 births per 1,000 people | 31.77 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 29.6 births per 1,000 people | 28.99 births per 1,000 people | 30.02 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 27.42 births per 1,000 people | 24.38 births per 1,000 people | 30.12 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 21.84 births per 1,000 people | 16.96 births per 1,000 people | 24.18 births per 1,000 people | 6 |
| 1920s | 20.15 births per 1,000 people | 18.44 births per 1,000 people | 22.47 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 16.63 births per 1,000 people | 15.41 births per 1,000 people | 18.99 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 15.51 births per 1,000 people | 12.09 births per 1,000 people | 18.18 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 16.82 births per 1,000 people | 16.31 births per 1,000 people | 17.37 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.2 births per 1,000 people | 14.67 births per 1,000 people | 17.27 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.1 births per 1,000 people | 12.2 births per 1,000 people | 14.7 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.05 births per 1,000 people | 11.57 births per 1,000 people | 12.56 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.73 births per 1,000 people | 11.12 births per 1,000 people | 12.54 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.33 births per 1,000 people | 10.88 births per 1,000 people | 11.76 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.92 births per 1,000 people | 10.22 births per 1,000 people | 11.76 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.66 births per 1,000 people | 8.68 births per 1,000 people | 10.17 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More population data for Belgium
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 461,216 people (2100)
- Population density 365.29 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.44 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 183,551 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.44 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.44 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.1% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.38 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in Belgium?
- Birth rate in Belgium was 8.68 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 33.81 births per 1,000 people in 1874.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.68 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for birth rate?
- Belgium ranks 196th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.