Rank #19 by World Population

🇧🇪Belgium

Belgium has a population of 11,779,946, ranking #19 in the world. The capital is Brussels. Located in Europe & Central Asia.

World Bank: High income

11,779,946

Population

#19

World Rank

82.4

Life Expectancy

$55,291

GDP Per Capita

Belgium, #19 by world population

Belgium Population History (1960-2024)

The country of Belgium had a population of 9,153,489 in 1960 and 11,858,610 in 2024, a 29.6% growth over 64 years. The peak was 11,858,610 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 0.41%.

Belgium population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

11,858,610

Population (2024)

9,153,489

Population (1960)

11,858,610

Peak (2024)

0.41%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	9,153,489	-	-	estimate
1961	9,183,948	+30,459	+0.33%	estimate
1962	9,220,578	+36,630	+0.40%	estimate
1963	9,289,770	+69,192	+0.75%	estimate
1964	9,378,113	+88,343	+0.95%	estimate
1965	9,463,667	+85,554	+0.91%	estimate
1966	9,527,807	+64,140	+0.68%	estimate
1967	9,580,991	+53,184	+0.56%	estimate
1968	9,618,756	+37,765	+0.39%	estimate
1969	9,646,032	+27,276	+0.28%	estimate
1970	9,655,549	+9,517	+0.10%	estimate
1971	9,673,162	+17,613	+0.18%	estimate
1972	9,711,115	+37,953	+0.39%	estimate
1973	9,741,720	+30,605	+0.32%	estimate
1974	9,772,419	+30,699	+0.32%	estimate
1975	9,800,700	+28,281	+0.29%	estimate
1976	9,818,227	+17,527	+0.18%	estimate
1977	9,830,358	+12,131	+0.12%	estimate
1978	9,839,534	+9,176	+0.09%	estimate
1979	9,848,382	+8,848	+0.09%	estimate
1980	9,859,242	+10,860	+0.11%	estimate
1981	9,858,982	-260	-0.00%	estimate
1982	9,856,303	-2,679	-0.03%	estimate
1983	9,855,520	-783	-0.01%	estimate
1984	9,855,372	-148	-0.00%	estimate
1985	9,858,308	+2,936	+0.03%	estimate
1986	9,861,823	+3,515	+0.04%	estimate
1987	9,870,234	+8,411	+0.09%	estimate
1988	9,901,664	+31,430	+0.32%	estimate
1989	9,937,697	+36,033	+0.36%	estimate
1990	9,967,379	+29,682	+0.30%	estimate
1991	10,004,486	+37,107	+0.37%	estimate
1992	10,045,158	+40,672	+0.41%	estimate
1993	10,084,475	+39,317	+0.39%	estimate
1994	10,115,603	+31,128	+0.31%	estimate
1995	10,136,811	+21,208	+0.21%	estimate
1996	10,156,637	+19,826	+0.20%	estimate
1997	10,181,245	+24,608	+0.24%	estimate
1998	10,203,008	+21,763	+0.21%	estimate
1999	10,226,419	+23,411	+0.23%	estimate
2000	10,251,250	+24,831	+0.24%	estimate
2001	10,286,570	+35,320	+0.34%	estimate
2002	10,332,785	+46,215	+0.45%	estimate
2003	10,376,133	+43,348	+0.42%	estimate
2004	10,421,137	+45,004	+0.43%	estimate
2005	10,478,617	+57,480	+0.55%	estimate
2006	10,547,958	+69,341	+0.66%	estimate
2007	10,625,700	+77,742	+0.74%	estimate
2008	10,709,973	+84,273	+0.79%	estimate
2009	10,796,493	+86,520	+0.81%	estimate
2010	10,895,586	+99,093	+0.92%	estimate
2011	11,038,264	+142,678	+1.31%	estimate
2012	11,106,932	+68,668	+0.62%	estimate
2013	11,159,407	+52,475	+0.47%	estimate
2014	11,209,057	+49,650	+0.44%	estimate
2015	11,274,196	+65,139	+0.58%	estimate
2016	11,331,422	+57,226	+0.51%	estimate
2017	11,375,158	+43,736	+0.39%	estimate
2018	11,427,054	+51,896	+0.46%	estimate
2019	11,488,980	+61,926	+0.54%	estimate
2020	11,538,604	+49,624	+0.43%	estimate
2021	11,586,195	+47,591	+0.41%	estimate
2022	11,680,210	+94,015	+0.81%	estimate
2023	11,779,946	+99,736	+0.85%	estimate
2024	11,858,610	+78,664	+0.67%	estimate

Demographics

Population	11,779,946
Population Growth Rate	0.85%
Urban Population	87.6%
Fertility Rate	1.47 births/woman
Life Expectancy	82.4 years
Infant Mortality Rate	3.2 per 1,000
Literacy Rate	-

Economy & Trade

$55,291

GDP Per Capita

5.5%

Unemployment Rate

High income

Income Level

26.8

Gini Index (inequality)

165.8%

Trade (% of GDP)

2,584,000

Tourism Arrivals

Health & Education

10.8%

Health Expenditure (% GDP)

3.57

Physicians per 1,000

3.2

Infant Mortality (per 1,000)

Development & Connectivity

100.0%

Electricity Access

94.0%

Internet Users

101

Mobile Subs per 100

386.3

People per km2

41,679

Net Migration

Environment

22.6%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Europe & Central Asia

Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan

Compare Belgium

vs Afghanistan vs Albania vs Algeria vs American Samoa

Belgium in global context

Belgium is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.

World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →

Other related entities

Albania (2,414,095)Andorra (80,856)Armenia (2,964,300)Austria (9,131,761)Azerbaijan (10,153,958)All countries →

Country rankings

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Frequently Asked Questions

Belgium has a population of 11,779,946, ranking #19 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 0.85%.

Life expectancy in Belgium is 82.4 years. The infant mortality rate is 3.2 per 1,000 live births.

Belgium's GDP per capita is $55,291. It is classified as a high income country by the World Bank.

87.6% of Belgium's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 386.3 people per square kilometer.

Literacy data for Belgium is available from the World Bank.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

Belgium is a country in Europe & Central Asia with a population of 11,779,946. Population growth is modest, around 0.9% a year.

Belgium is a high-income economy, with GDP per capita of about $55,291. Life expectancy is high at 82.4 years, with a fertility rate of 1.5 births per woman, and 87.6% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.