MigrantoImmigrants in Belgium
2.2M foreign-born residents — the #32 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 27% of all immigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| 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
Europe is the leading region of origin at 50%
1.1M
578.9K
212.8K
194.4K
76.2K
21.7K
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in Belgium.
Immigration is a key driver of population growth
69% of the population growth of Belgium since 1990 came from new immigrants, reflecting immigration's central demographic role.
Romania is the fastest-growing major source
Immigration from Romania has increased by 92% since 2015, rising from 68.6K to 131.4K in 9 years.
Top source countries have shifted significantly since 1990
8 new countries have entered the top 20: Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria — Romania rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
A significant share of residents were born abroad
1 in 5 residents of Belgium is foreign-born — 2.2M out of 11.9M, representing 18.4% of the population.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 876481 |
| 1995 | 933301 |
| 2000 | 1005866 |
| 2005 | 1158247 |
| 2010 | 1426711 |
| 2015 | 1658331 |
| 2020 | 1869227 |
| 2024 | 2185154 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Morocco | France | Netherlands | Romania | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
Belgium as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Belgium
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in Belgium?
Around 2.2M foreign-born residents live in Belgium, making it the #32-largest immigrant population in the world.
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 foreign-born residents.
What share 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.
How has immigration to Belgium changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in Belgium has grown from 1.7M to 2.2M people, a growth of about 32%.
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