Metadata: Population by nationality
Source
Statbel & Eurostat, processed by Statistics Flanders
Definitions
Legal population: Statbel reports on the ‘ legally resident population ’ on the basis of the National Register of Natural Persons. By default, this statistic reflects the situation on 1 January of the calendar year, as can be deduced from entries in the population register (Belgians and foreigners authorised to settle on Belgian territory) and the foreigners’ register (foreigners admitted or authorised to stay for more than 3 months on Belgian territory, either for a definite or indefinite period). Certain categories of foreigners (e.g. diplomatic and consular personnel) are exempt from registration in the population registers. In some cases, however, they can be registered at their own request. Only in that case are they included in the population figures.
The National Register also includes the waiting register for asylum seekers (applicants for international protection) in which asylum seekers are registered by the Immigration Department (DVZ) as well as a waiting register for EU citizens awaiting residence control (after which they are registered in the foreigners’ register and counted in the population figures). Since 1995, persons registered in the waiting register for asylum seekers (applicants for international protection) are no longer counted in Statbel’s population figures. Only after asylum seekers are transferred from the waiting register for asylum seekers to a regular population register, after being recognised as refugees, after being granted subsidiary protection status or after acquiring a residence permit for another reason, are they included in Statbel’s population statistics.
Usually resident population: the European statistical office Eurostat reports on the “usually resident population”, i.e. the population usually resident in the given territory (country/region/municipality). More specifically, ‘usually resident’ refers to the place where a person normally lives, regardless of temporary absences for reasons of recreation, leaves, visits to friends or acquaintances, working conditions, medical care or religious pilgrimages. Are considered usual residents only: 1) those who have been living in the place of residence for more than 12 months before the reference time (1 January of the year indicated), and 2) those who arrived within the last 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for more than a year (cf. Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection).
What is important in the European provision is that asylum seekers are also counted, at least for as long as they are long-term (>12 months) residents (registered) in the host country, or at least have the intention to do so. In practice, EU member states use various methods to comply - approximately - with the European provisions on “usually resident population” and “international migrations”. As of 2011, member state Belgium reports to Eurostat on the “usually resident population” according to the European definition. This has slightly more members than the “legal population” (about 30,000 extra for Belgium and 10,000 extra for the Flemish Region).
Number of inhabitants by nationality group on 1 January of the year: the numbers are set off against the total number of inhabitants on 1 January of the year.
Persons with Belgian nationality: persons with current Belgian nationality, including those with dual nationality including Belgian nationality.
Persons with foreign nationality: persons without current Belgian nationality. This group can be further divided by nationality or nationality group.
In general, a distinction can be made between foreigners with a nationality of one of the EU countries and foreigners with a non-EU nationality. Those 2 groups can be further divided into more detailed groups:
- EU-27 nationality:
Neighbouring countries: The Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg
Western and Northern EU-14 countries (without neighbouring countries): Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Finland
Southern EU-14 countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece
EU-13 countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia and Cyprus.
- Non-EU-27 nationality:
Non-EU Europe: Switzerland, Norway, Albania, Belarus, Kosovo, Moldavia, Russia, Bosnia, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Macedonia, United Kingdom, Iceland, Serbia and Montenegro
Turkey
Maghreb-countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania
Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda
Other countries: other countries than those mentioned in the groups above and unknown nationality.
Remarks on quality
The figures on population by nationality are based on the official population figures of the Belgian statistical office (Statbel). For European comparisons, the figures of Eurostat, the European statistical office, are used for the EU countries and Belgium. The figures for the regions in the European comparison are not reported by Eurostat, but were requested from Statbel.
The Statbel data on the ‘legally resident population’ are based on the National Register. The National Register consists of the Population Register (Belgians and foreigners who are authorised to reside in Belgium) and the Foreign National Register (foreigners who are allowed or authorised to stay in Belgium for a fixed or indefinite period of time and for more than 3 months). Certain categories of foreigners (e.g. diplomatic and consular staff) are exempt from registration in the population registers. In some cases they may be registered at their own request. They are only included in the population figures in this case. The National Register also includes the Waiting Register, in which applicants for international protection are registered by the Immigration Department (DVZ), as well as EU citizens pending a housing inspection (after which they are registered in the Foreign National Register and counted in the population figures). Since 1995, persons registered in the Waiting Register are no longer included in the population figures of Statbel. Applicants for international protection are only included in the population statistics of Statbel once they are transferred from the Waiting Register to a regular Population Register after recognition as a refugee, after being granted a subsidiary-protection status or after obtaining a residence permit for another reason.
For the foreign population in the EU countries, Eurostat data on the ‘usually resident population’ are used. These are drawn up by the different member states (provided by Statbel for Belgium) and are harmonised as much as possible by Eurostat. According to Eurostat, a foreigner is only included in the population figures if he or she has resided in the country for at least 12 months. In contrast to the Statbel figures, Eurostat also includes applicants for international protection who are registered in the Waiting Register. It should be noted that a negative outcome of the asylum procedure does not automatically lead to a deletion from the Waiting Register; this means that persons who have left the Belgian territory may still be registered in the Waiting Register. The ‘usually resident population’ counted by Eurostat has slightly more persons than the ‘legally resident population’ of Statbel (about 30,000 extra for Belgium and 10,000 extra for the Flemish Region).
Persons staying illegally in the country are not taken into account.