Share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium
Belgium: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 97.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
97.8%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
9th
of 202 countries
All-time high
97.8%
in 2025
All-time low
3.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 97.8% for share of population living in urbanized areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium peaked at 97.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1000.
Belgium ranks 9th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 3.0% | — |
| 1100 | 9.9% | +230.0% |
| 1200 | 12.5% | +26.3% |
| 1300 | 15.0% | +20.0% |
| 1400 | 26.2% | +74.7% |
| 1500 | 29.6% | +13.0% |
| 1600 | 29.3% | -1.0% |
| 1700 | 30.6% | +4.4% |
| 1710 | 28.9% | -5.5% |
| 1720 | 27.2% | -5.8% |
| 1730 | 25.6% | -6.2% |
| 1740 | 23.9% | -6.6% |
| 1750 | 22.2% | -7.0% |
| 1760 | 22.1% | -0.5% |
| 1770 | 22.0% | -0.5% |
| 1780 | 21.9% | -0.5% |
| 1790 | 21.8% | -0.5% |
| 1800 | 21.7% | -0.5% |
| 1810 | 26.3% | +21.4% |
| 1820 | 31.0% | +17.6% |
| 1830 | 35.6% | +15.0% |
| 1840 | 40.3% | +13.0% |
| 1850 | 44.9% | +11.5% |
| 1860 | 49.6% | +10.3% |
| 1870 | 54.2% | +9.4% |
| 1880 | 58.9% | +8.6% |
| 1890 | 63.5% | +7.9% |
| 1900 | 68.1% | +7.3% |
| 1910 | 72.8% | +6.8% |
| 1920 | 77.4% | +6.4% |
| 1930 | 82.1% | +6.0% |
| 1940 | 86.7% | +5.7% |
| 1950 | 91.4% | +5.4% |
| 1951 | 91.4% | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 91.4% | +0.1% |
| 1953 | 91.5% | +0.1% |
| 1954 | 91.6% | +0.1% |
| 1955 | 91.7% | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 91.8% | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 92.0% | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 92.1% | +0.1% |
| 1959 | 92.2% | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 92.3% | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 92.5% | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 92.6% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 92.8% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 93.0% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 93.2% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 93.4% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 93.5% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 93.6% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 93.7% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 93.8% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 94.0% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 94.1% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 94.3% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 94.4% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 94.4% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 94.6% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 94.8% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 95.0% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 95.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 95.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 95.3% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 95.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 95.4% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 95.5% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 95.7% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 95.8% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 95.9% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 96.2% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 96.5% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 96.7% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 96.8% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 96.9% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 97.0% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 97.1% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 97.1% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 97.3% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 97.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.9%, 1.2× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 97.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 72.5%, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +230.0% | 3.0% | 9.9% |
| 1400 | +74.7% | 15.0% | 26.2% |
| 1200 | +26.3% | 9.9% | 12.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 9.9% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 1 |
| 1200s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
| 1300s | 15.0% | 15.0% | 15.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 26.2% | 26.2% | 26.2% | 1 |
| 1500s | 29.6% | 29.6% | 29.6% | 1 |
| 1600s | 29.3% | 29.3% | 29.3% | 1 |
| 1700s | 30.6% | 30.6% | 30.6% | 1 |
| 1710s | 28.9% | 28.9% | 28.9% | 1 |
| 1720s | 27.2% | 27.2% | 27.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 25.6% | 25.6% | 25.6% | 1 |
| 1740s | 23.9% | 23.9% | 23.9% | 1 |
| 1750s | 22.2% | 22.2% | 22.2% | 1 |
| 1760s | 22.1% | 22.1% | 22.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 22.0% | 22.0% | 22.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 21.9% | 21.9% | 21.9% | 1 |
| 1790s | 21.8% | 21.8% | 21.8% | 1 |
| 1800s | 21.7% | 21.7% | 21.7% | 1 |
| 1810s | 26.3% | 26.3% | 26.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 31.0% | 31.0% | 31.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 35.6% | 35.6% | 35.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 40.3% | 40.3% | 40.3% | 1 |
| 1850s | 44.9% | 44.9% | 44.9% | 1 |
| 1860s | 49.6% | 49.6% | 49.6% | 1 |
| 1870s | 54.2% | 54.2% | 54.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 58.9% | 58.9% | 58.9% | 1 |
| 1890s | 63.5% | 63.5% | 63.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 68.1% | 68.1% | 68.1% | 1 |
| 1910s | 72.8% | 72.8% | 72.8% | 1 |
| 1920s | 77.4% | 77.4% | 77.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 82.1% | 82.1% | 82.1% | 1 |
| 1940s | 86.7% | 86.7% | 86.7% | 1 |
| 1950s | 91.7% | 91.4% | 92.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 93.1% | 92.3% | 93.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 94.4% | 93.8% | 95.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 95.6% | 95.2% | 96.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 96.7% | 96.2% | 97.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 97.3% | 97.3% | 97.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.5% | 97.4% | 97.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.7% | 97.7% | 97.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 7 Puerto Rico 99.5% compare
- 8 Guadeloupe 98.8% compare
- 10 Martinique 97.8% compare
- 11 Turks and Caicos Islands 96.9% compare
- 12 United States Virgin Islands 96.7% compare
More population data for Belgium
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0945 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.0085 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2011 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Belgium was 97.8% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 97.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1000.
- How does Belgium rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Belgium ranks 9th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.