MigrantoBelgian Diaspora
521.9K Belgians live abroad — 4% of the population of Belgium
Belgian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 56% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| France | 169102 |
| Netherlands | 67931 |
| Spain | 55364 |
| Italy | 42866 |
| Turkey | 40904 |
| Luxembourg | 24933 |
| Switzerland | 19211 |
| Canada | 17760 |
| Poland | 13815 |
| Australia | 7695 |
| Israel | 7375 |
| Romania | 5923 |
| Greece | 5551 |
| Portugal | 4414 |
| Bulgaria | 3584 |
| Hungary | 3036 |
| Denmark | 3003 |
| South Africa | 2630 |
| Norway | 2102 |
| Brazil | 2100 |
| Morocco | 1641 |
| Chile | 1232 |
| Czech Republic | 1231 |
| China | 1179 |
| Slovakia | 1119 |
| Mexico | 1104 |
| Japan | 1063 |
| Egypt | 982 |
| Peru | 932 |
| Malta | 869 |
| Finland | 812 |
| Burundi | 806 |
| Argentina | 776 |
| Libya | 761 |
| Colombia | 590 |
| Gabon | 541 |
| Panama | 494 |
| Bolivia | 468 |
| Serbia | 467 |
| Costa Rica | 422 |
| Guadeloupe | 421 |
| Slovenia | 375 |
| Venezuela | 353 |
| Croatia | 334 |
| Iceland | 311 |
| Lithuania | 287 |
| Dominican Republic | 287 |
| Estonia | 278 |
| Cyprus | 272 |
| Ecuador | 272 |
| Andorra | 244 |
| French Guiana | 233 |
| Namibia | 204 |
| Taiwan | 203 |
| Curaçao | 145 |
| Martinique | 144 |
| Mauritius | 119 |
| Latvia | 113 |
| Mauritania | 69 |
| Togo | 64 |
| El Salvador | 53 |
| Nicaragua | 47 |
| Liechtenstein | 46 |
| Seychelles | 38 |
| Guinea | 36 |
| Belarus | 34 |
| Bahamas | 32 |
| Honduras | 25 |
| Georgia | 22 |
| Cayman Islands | 13 |
| Cape Verde | 9 |
| Saint Lucia | 7 |
| Bermuda | 6 |
By region
82% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Belgian diaspora in numbers
Most Belgians abroad live in France
32% of the diaspora lives in France, while the next country accounts for just 13%.
The community in Turkey is growing fastest
The number of Belgians living in Turkey has grown 50% since 2015, from 27.2K to 40.9K.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary. Romania climbed from outside the top 20 to #12.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 40% to 32%.
Belgian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 312709 |
| 1995 | 305533 |
| 2000 | 313188 |
| 2005 | 374297 |
| 2010 | 405732 |
| 2015 | 438560 |
| 2020 | 482561 |
| 2024 | 521884 |
Largest communities over time
Belgians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | France | Netherlands | Spain | Italy | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 125924 | 43186 | 18775 | 39790 | 4581 |
| 1995 | 126002 | 43228 | 5250 | 41876 | 6604 |
| 2000 | 128613 | 45692 | 1182 | 42555 | 8627 |
| 2005 | 138817 | 47072 | 37230 | 43134 | 15068 |
| 2010 | 147518 | 49559 | 41831 | 44212 | 21797 |
| 2015 | 153412 | 54615 | 42108 | 44105 | 27187 |
| 2020 | 165124 | 62691 | 47464 | 44501 | 30565 |
| 2024 | 169102 | 67931 | 55364 | 42866 | 40904 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Belgians in each country has changed since the selected year
Belgians among immigrants in other countries
Where Belgians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Belgians live outside Belgium?
Around 521.9K Belgians live abroad, the world's #104 largest diaspora.
Where do most Belgians abroad live?
Most Belgians live in France, Netherlands and Spain — these three countries account for about 56% of all Belgians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Belgian population outside Belgium?
France is home to the largest Belgian community abroad — 169.1K people, about 32% of all Belgians living abroad.
What share of the population of Belgium lives abroad?
About 4% of the population of Belgium lives abroad — that's 521.9K out of a total population of 11.9M.
Is the Belgian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Belgians living abroad has grown from 438.6K to 521.9K, about 19%.
Where does the data on the Belgian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Belgium who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Belgium
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