Belgium Demographics

Population of Belgium (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Belgium

Belgium Population
11,774,642
see live
Yearly Change
+0.14%
Global Share
0.14%
Global Rank
83

Median Age

The median age in Belgium is 42.1 years (2026).

Fertility in Belgium

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.40
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Belgium

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
82.6
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
84.7
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
80.5
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Belgium


Infant Mortality
2.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
3.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Belgium Urban Population

Currently, 87.7% of the population of Belgium is urban (10,330,043 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Belgium is 389 people per km² (1,007 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 30,278 km² (11,690 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Municipalities in Belgium

The 30 largest of 179 cities and municipalities, ranked by population estimates for January 1, 2026 (by Statistics Belgium).

RankCity or MunicipalityPopulation
1Antwerp565,615
2Ghent274,042
3Charleroi206,900
4Brussels198,674
5Liège198,102
6Anderlecht129,600
7Schaerbeek129,278
8Bruges120,458
9Namur115,457
10Leuven105,357
11Molenbeek-Saint-Jean98,411
12Mons97,745
13Aalst93,094
14Hasselt90,914
15Mechelen90,355
16Ixelles89,162
17Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht88,344
18Uccle87,548
19Sint-Niklaas83,400
20La Louvière81,751
21Kortrijk81,523
22Ostend73,000
23Tournai69,066
24Genk68,101
25Roeselare67,697
26Seraing64,764
27Woluwe-Saint-Lambert60,979
28Mouscron60,410
29Forest58,904
30Verviers56,182
See all 179 cities and municipalities in Belgium

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.