Total fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium

Belgium: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.53 births per woman in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
1.53 births per woman
Change on year
down 4.3%
World rank
12th
of 34 countries
All-time high
2.72 births per woman
in 1964
All-time low
1.5 births per woman
in 1985
Years of data
76
1947–2022

Total fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium, 1947–2022

0123194719842022

Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.

Analysis

Belgium recorded 1.53 births per woman for total fertility rate: births per woman in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.3% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium peaked at 2.72 births per woman in 1964 and was at its lowest, 1.5 births per woman, in 1985.

That places Belgium 12th out of 34 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 2.46 births per woman 2.42 births per woman 2.49 births per woman 3
1950s 2.41 births per woman 2.31 births per woman 2.58 births per woman 10
1960s 2.54 births per woman 2.29 births per woman 2.72 births per woman 10
1970s 1.91 births per woman 1.72 births per woman 2.26 births per woman 10
1980s 1.58 births per woman 1.5 births per woman 1.7 births per woman 10
1990s 1.61 births per woman 1.56 births per woman 1.65 births per woman 10
2000s 1.73 births per woman 1.62 births per woman 1.86 births per woman 10
2010s 1.71 births per woman 1.59 births per woman 1.84 births per woman 10
2020s 1.55 births per woman 1.53 births per woman 1.59 births per woman 3

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 9 Germany 1.57 births per woman compare
  2. 10 Hungary 1.56 births per woman compare
  3. 11 Ireland 1.53 births per woman compare
  4. 13 Ukraine 1.51 births per woman compare
  5. 14 Slovakia 1.5 births per woman compare
  6. 15 Netherlands 1.49 births per woman compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More population data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium?
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Belgium was 1.53 births per woman in 2022, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 2.72 births per woman in 1964.
What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5 births per woman in 1985.
How does Belgium rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
Belgium ranks 12th out of 34 countries with data for 2022.
Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total fertility rate: births per woman
Unit
births per woman
Source
Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 2,331 data points, 1891–2024
Last refreshed

The average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.