Population in Belgium
Belgium: Population was 11.71 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Belgium, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 11.71 million people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Belgium peaked at 11.71 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.62 million people, in 1950.
That places Belgium 81st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 8.82 million people | 8.62 million people | 9.05 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.36 million people | 9.10 million people | 9.59 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.73 million people | 9.63 million people | 9.81 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.88 million people | 9.83 million people | 9.94 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.11 million people | 9.96 million people | 10.23 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.48 million people | 10.25 million people | 10.81 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.24 million people | 10.94 million people | 11.49 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.62 million people | 11.54 million people | 11.71 million 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 population in Belgium?
- Population in Belgium was 11.71 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 11.71 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.62 million people in 1950.
- How does Belgium rank for population?
- Belgium ranks 81st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Population. 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
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.