MigrantoImmigrants in Belgium
2.2M foreigners live in Belgium — 18% of the country's population
Immigrants in Belgium by country
The 3 largest groups make up 27% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Morocco | 246575 |
| France | 196995 |
| Netherlands | 136488 |
| Romania | 131417 |
| Italy | 116143 |
| Turkey | 110089 |
| DR Congo | 88896 |
| Ukraine | 82974 |
| Poland | 79624 |
| Germany | 79619 |
| Spain | 58242 |
| Bulgaria | 51857 |
| Afghanistan | 50906 |
| Syria | 50068 |
| Portugal | 40781 |
| India | 33480 |
| Cameroon | 30634 |
| Algeria | 30393 |
| Iraq | 24557 |
| Brazil | 24464 |
| China | 23856 |
| United Kingdom | 22271 |
| Guinea | 21859 |
| Tunisia | 19761 |
| Greece | 19720 |
| USA | 16645 |
| Albania | 16175 |
| Luxembourg | 16076 |
| Pakistan | 15808 |
| Rwanda | 15445 |
| Iran | 15212 |
| Burundi | 13915 |
| Philippines | 13572 |
| Somalia | 12989 |
| Lebanon | 12974 |
| Ghana | 12780 |
| Thailand | 10952 |
| Russia | 10232 |
| Colombia | 9685 |
| Senegal | 9114 |
| Vietnam | 8790 |
| Angola | 8571 |
| Hungary | 8518 |
| Palestine | 8383 |
| Ivory Coast | 8359 |
| Nigeria | 8134 |
| Ethiopia | 8073 |
| Togo | 7579 |
| Ecuador | 7478 |
| Moldova | 6913 |
| Suriname | 6731 |
| Egypt | 6288 |
| Nepal | 5887 |
| Switzerland | 5711 |
| Eritrea | 5434 |
| South Africa | 5259 |
| Canada | 5070 |
| Peru | 4891 |
| Chile | 4639 |
| South Korea | 4534 |
| Japan | 4484 |
| Venezuela | 4270 |
| Republic of Congo | 3982 |
| Mexico | 3940 |
| Ireland | 3823 |
| Indonesia | 3816 |
| Dominican Republic | 3608 |
| Israel | 3589 |
| Argentina | 3485 |
| Austria | 3408 |
| Mauritius | 3398 |
| Lithuania | 3341 |
| Sweden | 3319 |
| Armenia | 3107 |
| Bangladesh | 3070 |
| Mauritania | 3018 |
| Sierra Leone | 3018 |
| El Salvador | 2981 |
| Madagascar | 2773 |
| Niger | 2685 |
| Finland | 2596 |
| North Macedonia | 2492 |
| Latvia | 2466 |
By region of origin
50% of immigrants come from Europe
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Key facts
Immigrants in Belgium in numbers
Immigration drives population growth
69% of the population growth of Belgium since 1990 came from immigrants.
People born in Romania are the fastest-growing group
The number of people born in Romania living in Belgium has grown 92% since 2015, from 68.6K to 131.4K.
The map of origins has changed since 1990
8 countries have entered the top 20 origins since 1990: Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria. Romania climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
1 in 5 residents of Belgium was born abroad
2.2M of 11.9M residents were born abroad — 18.4% of the population.
The share of immigrants from Europe has declined since 1990
67.7% of immigrants came from Europe in 1990, compared with 50.4% today.
The immigrant population has grown 17% since 2020
The number of foreigners living in Belgium rose from 1.9M to 2.2M in four years.
Immigrant population in Belgium over time
Foreigners living in Belgium, by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 876481 |
| 1995 | 933301 |
| 2000 | 1005866 |
| 2005 | 1158247 |
| 2010 | 1426711 |
| 2015 | 1658331 |
| 2020 | 1869227 |
| 2024 | 2185154 |
Largest groups over time
The 5 largest groups in Belgium, by year
| Year | Moroccans | French | Dutch | Romanians | Italians |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 85421 | 147728 | 79743 | 3390 | 149461 |
| 1995 | 97337 | 149698 | 86632 | 4675 | 141807 |
| 2000 | 110789 | 151704 | 94048 | 6430 | 134558 |
| 2005 | 144604 | 155088 | 109559 | 11526 | 125869 |
| 2010 | 184067 | 173219 | 125625 | 33976 | 120326 |
| 2015 | 209668 | 183005 | 128975 | 68553 | 120063 |
| 2020 | 227813 | 188926 | 131369 | 100844 | 118495 |
| 2024 | 246575 | 196995 | 136488 | 131417 | 116143 |
Fastest-changing groups
How each group's numbers have changed since the selected year
Share of each diaspora living in Belgium
Of each group's emigrants worldwide, the share who live in Belgium
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many foreigners live in Belgium?
Around 2.2M immigrants live in Belgium — the world's #32 largest immigrant population.
What percentage of the population of Belgium are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 18% of the population of Belgium — that's 2.2M out of a total population of 11.9M.
Where do most immigrants in Belgium come from?
Most immigrants in Belgium come from Morocco, France and Netherlands — these three countries account for about 27% of all immigrants.
How many Moroccans live in Belgium?
Around 246.6K Moroccans live in Belgium — about 11% of all immigrants, the largest group.
Is the immigrant population in Belgium growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of immigrants in Belgium has grown from 1.7M to 2.2M, about 32%.
Where does the data on immigrants in Belgium come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born abroad who now live in Belgium. Their children born in Belgium are not included.
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Living in Belgium
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