Population CO2 emissions Coronavirus Countries Energy Flags Food & Agriculture GDP by country Time Unit Converters Water World Map

Flag of Belgium
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)
1.4
(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, 99% of the population of Belgium is urban (11,653,495 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 30,280 Km2 (11,691 sq. miles).

Largest cities by Population in Belgium

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 Bruxelles (Brussels) 1,406,499
2 Antwerp 652,506
3 Liège 375,138
4 Ghent 230,642
5 Charleroi 227,157
6 La Louvière 87,478
7 Ostend 78,089
8 Kortrijk 77,442
9 Leuven 77,085
10 Saint-Ghislain 74,518
11 Bruges 65,036
12 Namur 63,872
13 Mechelen 62,379
14 Sint-Niklaas 53,647
15 Verviers 52,486
16 Aalst 51,325
More info

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.