Population by nationality

As of January 1, 2025, the legal population (open definition) in the Flemish Region included just over 6,108,000 persons of Belgian nationality and just over 756,000 persons (11%) of foreign nationality, of which rounded up 447,000 were of EU nationality. On January 1, 2000, the population was nearly 5,647,000 persons of Belgian nationality and rounded 294,000 persons (5%) of foreign nationality, of whom nearly 158,000 were EU nationals. The population with a foreign nationality increased more than two and a half times between 2000 and 2025. The population with Belgian nationality grew by 8%.

The largest group of foreigners in the Flemish Region has the Dutch nationality. At the beginning of 2025, they represented almost 155,000 persons, which corresponds to 21% of the total number of foreigners. After the Dutch, Romanians and Poles were the largest groups with a non-Belgian nationality. Ukrainians were in 4^th place. They were followed by Bulgarians, Spaniards, Moroccans, Italians, Turks and Portuguese.

Not all nationality groups experienced an increase between 2000 and 2025. The increase was greatest among the group of persons with a nationality of the EU13 countries (open definition) , the European Union member states that joined from 2004. On the other hand, the number of persons with Turkish nationality and nationality of the Maghreb countries (open definition) fell between 2000 and 2025.

The proportion of people with a foreign nationality in 2025 was highest in the periphery around Brussels, in the major cities Antwerp and Ghent and in the border region with the Netherlands in the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg.

In 35 municipalities, the share of persons with foreign nationality was higher than 15%, with the outlier being Baarle-Hertog (almost 56%). There were 90 municipalities with shares lower than 5%. The lowest shares were found in Horebeke (1%) and Koekelare (less than 2%).

The composition of the population by nationality varies by region. In the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region, 89% of the inhabitants had Belgian nationality in 2025. Respectively 5% and 4% had a nationality from outside the European Union. In the Brussels-Capital Region, 63% of the inhabitants had Belgian nationality. Almost a quarter had a nationality of another EU country (23%) and 14% of a non-EU country.

On January 1, 2024, just under 10% of the population in the European Union had a foreign nationality; in the Flemish Region, the figure was 11%. Among EU countries, Luxembourg had the highest proportion of persons with foreign nationality (47%). Romania, Slovakia and Poland had the lowest proportion (just over 1%).

EU and regional figures refer to the usually resident population (open definition) . Data are not yet available for the observation year 2025.