Natural population growth rate in Belgium
Belgium: Natural population growth rate was -0.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Natural population growth rate in Belgium, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded -0.1% for natural population growth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 99.4% on the previous year and down 176.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, natural population growth rate in Belgium peaked at 0.6% in 1959 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 192nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Natural population growth rate in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.4% | — |
| 1951 | 0.4% | -12.8% |
| 1952 | 0.5% | +27.2% |
| 1953 | 0.5% | -2.1% |
| 1954 | 0.5% | +6.5% |
| 1955 | 0.4% | -7.3% |
| 1956 | 0.5% | +3.2% |
| 1957 | 0.5% | +8.0% |
| 1958 | 0.5% | +7.9% |
| 1959 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1960 | 0.4% | -24.8% |
| 1961 | 0.6% | +26.5% |
| 1962 | 0.5% | -18.2% |
| 1963 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 0.5% | +17.6% |
| 1965 | 0.4% | -21.1% |
| 1966 | 0.4% | -13.8% |
| 1967 | 0.3% | -13.7% |
| 1968 | 0.2% | -36.3% |
| 1969 | 0.2% | +7.3% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | +12.5% |
| 1971 | 0.2% | -5.3% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | -15.3% |
| 1973 | 0.1% | -41.8% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | -34.1% |
| 1975 | -0.0% | -105.1% |
| 1976 | 0.0% | -432.4% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | +581.3% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -25.2% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +76.6% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -9.8% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +12.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | -24.1% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -65.6% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | +76.0% |
| 1985 | 0.0% | -49.4% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | +117.7% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | +118.4% |
| 1988 | 0.2% | +23.6% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | -10.2% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | +43.1% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -33.0% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -17.3% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +9.2% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -23.0% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | +22.7% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -41.1% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -6.2% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | +131.0% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | +5.5% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | +29.5% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.2% | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -24.7% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -13.6% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | +25.9% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -46.0% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | +22.7% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | -30.2% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -27.5% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +28.6% |
| 2020 | -0.1% | -238.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | -145.7% |
| 2022 | -0.1% | -211.9% |
| 2023 | -0.1% | +99.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's -0.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's -0.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is -0.1%, 1.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Natural population growth rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +581.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1976 | +432.4% | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | -238.2% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | -211.9% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -0.1% | 0.0% | 4 |
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)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 365.29 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 461,216 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is natural population growth rate in Belgium?
- Natural population growth rate in Belgium was -0.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest natural population growth rate recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1959.
- What is the lowest natural population growth rate recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for natural population growth rate?
- Belgium ranks 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is natural population growth rate rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 176.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Natural population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Births minus deaths, as a share of the population. This is the part of population change that comes only from births and deaths, ignoring migration.