Belgium has a multicultural landscape; a variety of nationalities coexist in the country. Brussels houses most of the European Union institutions. This is the reason behind the nickname "capital of Europe". In 2020, over one million foreigners were living in the country. Of the variety of nationalities in Belgium, three main origins were present on its soil. In 2020, around 485,340 people originated from France, Italy, or the Netherlands.

The migration flow in Belgium

Migration has always been part of human history. However, it is still one of society's most controversial topics. Nowadays, immigration within the European Union is primarily influenced by economic reasons. In 2020, the migration flow amounted to about 117,500 people coming to Belgium. Meanwhile, 55,769 nationals emigrated abroad.

Belgian’s views on immigration

Although Belgium has known many migration waves in its past, views on the matter still divide. In 2017, opinions in Belgium on immigrants coming from outside the EU were varied. Nonetheless, the fifth most common origin of foreigners in Belgium was Moroccan. In recent years, more than 60 percent of Belgians believed too many immigrants lived in the country. However, Belgians regarded EU citizens immigrating to their country positively.

The number of immigrants in Belgium amounted to ****** men and ****** women in 2021. Whilst immigration has fluctuated over the past years, the difference between that of men and women has remained stable, with more men immigrating into Belgium than women consistently.

Belgium BE: Net Migration data was reported at 36,243.000 Person in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 41,679.000 Person for 2023. Belgium BE: Net Migration data is updated yearly, averaging 18,243.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 118,615.000 Person in 2022 and a record low of 1,100.000 Person in 1982. Belgium BE: Net Migration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.;United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.;Sum;

In 2022, the migration balance in Belgium stood at 116,500, meaning that the number of immigrants moving to Belgium outnumbered the number of people leaving the country by about 116,500. This was an increase in comparison to the previous year and was the highest in this time period. It was also similar compared to neighboring country the Netherlands, which in 2021 had a positive migration balance of 107,200.

 Regional differences in Belgium  

Within Belgium, there were marked regional differences as well. The Flemish Region, the Dutch-speaking part of the country, had a migration balance of around 20,098 in 2020. By comparison, the migration balance of the French-speaking Walloon Region was roughly one third of this, at just over 8,000.

Opinions on immigration in Belgium  

Between 2011 and 2018, Ipsos surveyed opinions on immigration in Belgium multiple times. The share of respondents who believe immigration has a positive impact on the country was continuously low though, never reaching above 16 percent. On a more positive note though, this peak was reached in the most recent survey, held at the end of 2018. Surveys from 2011 and 2013 saw considerable fewer positive responses of nine and eight percent respectively. After 2013, the share of respondents positive about immigration remained above ten percent in all years, until it reached its peak in 2018.

Graph and download economic data for Net migration for Belgium (SMPOPNETMBEL) from 1962 to 2017 about Belgium, migration, Net, 5-year, and population.

Belgium Change of Nationality: Foreign to Belgian data was reported at 55,213.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 48,482.000 Person for 2022. Belgium Change of Nationality: Foreign to Belgian data is updated yearly, averaging 33,812.000 Person from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62,982.000 Person in 2001 and a record low of 8,366.000 Person in 1988. Belgium Change of Nationality: Foreign to Belgian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Directorate-General Statistics - Statistics Belgium. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.G005: Number of Emigrants and Immigrants.

This statistic shows the population of Belgium from 2009 to 2023, by origin. Since 2009, the number of foreign nationals living in Belgium has increased by over 500,000. In 2009, just over one million people living in Belgium were foreign nationals, while in 2023, over 1.57 million people living in Belgium were foreign nationals.

The project aims at providing the data required to study the descriptive representation of citizens of immigrant origin (CIOs). The main aim is to provide an overview of the social and political profile of Member of Parliament (MPs), with a particular focus on identifying MPs of immigrant origin. In addition to the national level dataset described below, a corresponding regional level dataset is available.

Identification variables: Political level (regional, national); country-ID (NUTS); name of region; region-id (NUTS); date of relevant election; full name of district in which elected; level of electoral tier (first / Lower (or single tier); identifier for tier 1 to 3 districts at national level; number of legislatures in the country, as recorded by the parliament itself; date in which the legislature begins and ends; first name, first (second) surname of MP; MP-ID; national MP is also simultaneously a regional MP; which regional MP.

Demography: sex of MP; year of birth of MP; highest level of education (ISCED 1997); last occupation /profession of the MP before first ever becoming an MP (ISCO 2008); occupation sector when first elected; current occupation/ profession of the MP (ISCO 2008); current occupation sector.

Electoral and parliamentary tenure variables: number of times the MP has been previously elected to parliament in this district; type of electoral district; number of times the MP has been previously elected to parliament in this tier; Rookie: MP elected for the first time in this term; number of times the MP has been elected to parliament; number of times the MP has taken up the seat in parliament once elected; year when the MP was first elected to national/regional parliament; total number of years spent in national/regional parliament as MP, prior to this legislature (seniority); when was the MP elected for the last time prior to this legislature (continuity); MP was elected to chamber from inauguration; MP stayed continuously with no interruptions from the moment of taking up the seat until the end of the legislative term; number of months the MP did serve (if he did not serve a full legislative term); MP came back to reclaim the seat if MP left seat at some point; position in party list; rank position in which the MP was elected in district; double candidacy in another tier; MP won seat as incumbent, or as contender; parliamentary group the MP joined at the beginning and at the end of his/her term; full name and acronym of party or list in which elected; party code according to the CMP (Comparative Manifesto Project) dataset; party-ID.

Immigrant origin variables (corresponding coding for MPs mother and father): MP was born in the country of parliament; country (ISO 3166-1), world region (UN Classification for ‘Composition of macro geographical regions’), and country region (NUTS) in which the MP was born; data sources for country of birth (e.g. official parliamentary source, personal blogs, etc.); specific sources for country of birth; reliability of the data regarding the country of birth of the MP (as judged by the coder); year of immigration; born as a national citizen of the country of parliament; country of nationality at birth; data sources country of nationality at birth; specific sources for country of citizenship at birth; reliability of the data regarding citizenship at birth; year in which naturalized as a citizen; data sources year of naturalization; specific sources for date of naturalization; reliability of the data regarding naturalization.

Variables relating to aspects potentially related to discrimination: the MP is a native speaker of an official country language and data sources; specific sources for native language of MP; MP can be perceived by voters as a member of an ‘identifiable’ minority; source where picture found; specific sources for picture of MP; does the MP self-identify as a member of an ethnic minority; ethnicity; sources and specific sources for information on ethnic self-identification of MP; self-identification as a member of a certain religion; religion the MP identifies with.

Party career and committee membership variables: year in which the MP joined the party for which she/he was elected in this legislative term; highest position within the party; MP changed party affiliation during the legislative term; date of change; full name and party acronym of the new party joined, CMP code of the new party and Pathways identifier for party; (corresponding co...

Graph and download economic data for International Migrant Stock, Total for Belgium (SMPOPTOTLBEL) from 1960 to 2015 about Belgium, migration, and 5-year.

Belgium Change of Nationality: Belgian to Foreign data was reported at 51.000 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 39.000 Person for 2022. Belgium Change of Nationality: Belgian to Foreign data is updated yearly, averaging 49.500 Person from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 118.000 Person in 2007 and a record low of 20.000 Person in 1995. Belgium Change of Nationality: Belgian to Foreign data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Directorate-General Statistics - Statistics Belgium. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.G005: Number of Emigrants and Immigrants.

A standard assumption in realistic threat theories is that the presence of ethnic minorities is associated with a rise of anti-immigrant sentiments. However, we do not know whether this presence has a specific local effect, or whether one can detect a more general nationwide perception of threat. Using data from a recent Belgian population survey, we assess the association between ethnic diversity within the local community and anti-immigrant sentiments. Results suggest a strong negative association between the level of ethnic diversity and anti-immigrant sentiments. Furthermore, while we do not find evidence for an association between ethnic diversity and radical right voting on the individual level, there is a strong negative correlation on the aggregate level. We conclude with some speculation about how anti-immigrant sentiments are created in areas with a very low levels of ethnic diversity, and what this implies for the electoral potential of radical-right parties.

The public opinion regarding the contribution of immigrants in Belgium was quite contrasted in August 2020. During that time, 46 percent of the Belgian respondents tended to agree with the statement that immigrants contribute a lot to Belgium, whereas 28 percent tended to disagree with it. Furthermore, a significant part of the respondents totally disagreed with the statement.

Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Male: Belgium data was reported at 781.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 762.000 Person for 2016. Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Male: Belgium data is updated yearly, averaging 500.000 Person from Dec 1956 (Median) to 2017, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 937.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 201.000 Person in 1977. Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Male: Belgium data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Portal of Statistics of Luxembourg. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Luxembourg – Table LU.G003: Number of Immigrants and Emigrants: by Sex.

Historical dataset showing Belgium immigration statistics by year from 1960 to 2015.

Statistics on the structure and movement of the population issued by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office of the Dept. of Finance provide information on trends in the resident population figure as recorded on the National Register of Natural Persons (RNPP), defined by law. They contain essentially two types of measures: 1) measures relating to the population's characteristics at the beginning and middle of the year (i.e. 1 January and 1 July) and 2) measures relating to population changes by various event categories: births, deaths, immigration, emigration, changes in marital status or nationality.

Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Female: Belgium data was reported at 575.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 558.000 Person for 2016. Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Female: Belgium data is updated yearly, averaging 413.500 Person from Dec 1956 (Median) to 2017, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 655.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 207.000 Person in 1977. Luxembourg Number of Immigrants: Female: Belgium data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by The Portal of Statistics of Luxembourg. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Luxembourg – Table LU.G003: Number of Immigrants and Emigrants: by Sex.

The population registers of Sart are part of the Historical Database of the Liège Region (HDLR), which was collected with funding from the University of Liège and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). HDLR is a collection of data describing the characteristics and vital events of individuals from a sample of municipalities in Eastern Belgium spanning the period from 1806 through 1900. It consists of nineteenth century and early twentieth century microdata, which means that it provides information on individuals and the households they belonged to. Because the focus of the National Institute on Aging funded project was on the dynamic of life course transitions, particular attention was given to sources with a longitudinal dimension, showing not a static cross-section but a span of time. The Belgian population registers are exceptionally good sources for longitudinal analysis. Since these registers record dates of in- and out-migration, we are able to reconstruct the population at risk at every point in time. In addition, population registers give us information about household composition as it changed over time. Since migration is recorded in the population registers, a much wider range of analyses are possible. They allow us to reconstruct the biographies of everyone living in these municipalities during most of the nineteenth century. We know not only when they were born, married, and died, but also the lives of their parents, siblings, and children. In other words, it is possible to trace the individuals through time.

In 2022, 196,000 people migrated to Belgium, while 66,000 people migrated from Belgium to another country. For both immigration and emigration, there was an increase from 2021 levels.

Belgium - Foreign-born population was 2324053.00 in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Belgium - Foreign-born population - last updated from the EUROSTAT on August of 2025. Historically, Belgium - Foreign-born population reached a record high of 2324053.00 in December of 2024 and a record low of 1503806.00 in December of 2010.

The statistic displayed above shows the migration flow for Belgium in 2022, by region. In 2022, about 52,500 people migrated to Brussels, while approximately 16,000 migrated from Brussels.