Metadata: Population by nationality
Source
Statbel & Eurostat, processed by Statistics Flanders
Definitions
Number of inhabitants per nationality group on 1st January of the year: the numbers are compared to the total number of inhabitants on 1st January of the year.
Persons with Belgian nationality: persons with current Belgian nationality, including persons with dual nationality including the Belgian nationality.
Persons of 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.