Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Belgium
Belgium: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 2,439 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
2,439 thousands
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
45th
of 233 countries
All-time high
2,439 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,279 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Belgium, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 2,439 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Belgium peaked at 2,439 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,279 thousands, in 1970.
Belgium ranks 45th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,279 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,296 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 1,312 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 1,329 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 1,344 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 1,358 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 1,369 thousands | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 1,377 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 1,393 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 1,406 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 1,420 thousands | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 1,415 thousands | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 1,398 thousands | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 1,372 thousands | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 1,345 thousands | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 1,347 thousands | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 1,370 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 1,394 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 1,421 thousands | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 1,449 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 1,473 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 1,500 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 1,527 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 1,551 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 1,572 thousands | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 1,597 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 1,626 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 1,653 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 1,679 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 1,698 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 1,715 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 1,730 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 1,747 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 1,762 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1,780 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 1,800 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 1,809 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 1,811 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 1,819 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1,837 thousands | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 1,861 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 1,883 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 1,925 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 1,960 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 1,995 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 2,032 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 2,064 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 2,097 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 2,132 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 2,167 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 2,206 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 2,231 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 2,271 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 2,332 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 2,387 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 2,439 thousands | +2.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 2,439 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 8.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 2,439 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 2.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,347 thousands | 1,279 thousands | 1,406 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,393 thousands | 1,345 thousands | 1,449 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,588 thousands | 1,473 thousands | 1,698 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,781 thousands | 1,715 thousands | 1,837 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,012 thousands | 1,861 thousands | 2,167 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,311 thousands | 2,206 thousands | 2,439 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 65 years or older in Belgium?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Belgium was 2,439 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 2,439 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,279 thousands in 1970.
- How does Belgium rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Belgium ranks 45th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release