MigrantoBelgian Diaspora
521.9K Belgians live abroad — the #104 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 56% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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 destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 82%
427.4K
48.6K
17.8K
10.2K
7.9K
7.7K
2.4K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Belgium.
France is the primary destination for emigrants
France attracts 32% of all emigrants from Belgium, while the second-largest destination receives just 13%.
Turkey is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to Turkey has increased by 50% since 2015, rising from 27.2K to 40.9K in 9 years.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
4 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary — Romania rose from outside the top 20 to rank #12.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 40% to 32%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 312709 |
| 1995 | 305533 |
| 2000 | 313188 |
| 2005 | 374297 |
| 2010 | 405732 |
| 2015 | 438560 |
| 2020 | 482561 |
| 2024 | 521884 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| 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 destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Belgium as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Belgium
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Belgians move to?
Most Belgians have moved to France, Netherlands and Spain — these three countries account for about 56% of all Belgians living abroad.
How many Belgians live abroad?
Around 521.9K Belgians live abroad, making it the #104-largest emigrant population in the world.
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.
How has emigration from Belgium changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Belgium has grown from 438.6K to 521.9K people, a growth of about 19%.
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