More than a third of Belgium now has a foreign background, new data shows

More than a third of Belgium’s population now has a foreign background, according to new figures released by the national statistics office, Statbel. The data show that around 4.34 million of the country’s nearly 11.7 million residents do not have an entirely Belgian background.

Of those, 2.71 million people, or just over one-fifth of the population, have a foreign background but hold Belgian nationality, while 1.64 million people, or 13.8 per cent, are non-Belgian nationals.

Diversity data published for second time

Statbel said the diversity figures were being published for only the second time, amid growing demand from academic and policy circles.

Among those classified as having a foreign background, just over half were not born Belgian but later acquired Belgian citizenship.

The remainder were born in Belgium. Of that group, 21 per cent had two parents whose first registered nationality was foreign, while 28 per cent had one parent whose first registered nationality was foreign.

Diversity has increased over two decades

The figures also highlight a sustained increase in diversity over the past two decades.

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In 2005, 79 per cent of Belgium’s population had a Belgian background. That share fell to 71 per cent in 2015 and to slightly less than two-thirds in 2026.

Just over half of residents without a Belgian background have origins outside the European Union (EU).

A further 27 per cent come from EU countries other than Belgium’s neighbouring states, while 18 per cent originate from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.

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