Statbel (Statistics Belgium) 2026 — Official Census Data
Belgium Immigrant Population:
What Official Figures Actually Measure13.8% vs 36.6%
Both are official Statbel figures. Both are accurate. They measure different things — conflating them is a common source of confusion in public debate.
The two official figures (Statbel 2026)
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 13.8% | Non-Belgian nationals — people currently holding non-Belgian citizenship, registered in population registers (January 2026) | Statbel 2026 |
| 36.6% | Population of foreign origin — persons born abroad or with at least one parent born abroad, regardless of current nationality (includes naturalised citizens) | Statbel / census-based estimate |
Why the gap is so large
Belgium has a high naturalisation rate. Many people born abroad or with foreign-born parents have acquired Belgian citizenship and are therefore not counted in the 13.8% figure. They are counted in the 36.6% figure.
- The 13.8% figure counts current legal nationality — it excludes all naturalised citizens.
- The 36.6% figure counts ancestry — it includes naturalised citizens and their children if they were themselves born abroad or have a parent born abroad.
- Neither figure is wrong. They answer different questions.
Which figure to use?
- For legal/administrative comparisons (labour market access, voting rights, social entitlements): use 13.8% (current nationality).
- For long-run demographic analysis or integration studies: use 36.6% (foreign origin), but note it conflates first- and second-generation migrants and naturalised citizens — three very different groups.
- For cross-country comparisons with Denmark, Sweden, or Norway: their published figures are typically "foreign-born" (place of birth, regardless of nationality). Belgium's 13.8% (nationality) is not directly comparable to those figures.
Primary source
- Statbel (2026). Population étrangère en Belgique — chiffres au 1er janvier 2026. statbel.fgov.be