Belgium

Country in Northwestern Europe

This article is about the country. For other uses, see

SS Belgia. "Belgique" and "Bélgica" redirect here. For other uses, see Belgique (disambiguation) and Belgica (disambiguation)

.

Kingdom of Belgium Koninkrijk België (Dutch) Royaume de Belgique (French) Königreich Belgien (German)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Eendracht maakt macht ( Ethnic groups (2024)[1]		64.8% Belgians 35.2% other
Religion (2021[2] )	49% Christianity 44% Catholicism 5% other Christian 40% no religion 7% Islam 3% other
Demonym(s)	Belgian
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy[3]
• Monarch	Philippe
• Prime Minister	Alexander De Croo
Legislature	Provisional Government of Belgium	1814–1815
• United Kingdom of the Netherlands	1815–1839
• Belgian Revolution	25 August 1830
• Declared	4 October 1830
• Recognized	19 April 1839
• Federal state	1970
Area
• Total	30,689[4] km2 (11,849 sq mi) (136th)
• Water (%)	0.64 (2022)[5][6]
Population
• 2024 census	11,763,650[7]
• Density	383/km2 (992.0/sq mi) (22nd)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$863.837 billion[8] (37th)
• Per capita	$73,221[8] (20th)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$662.183 billion[8] (23rd)
• Per capita	$56,128[8] (16th)
Gini (2022)	24.9[9] low inequality
HDI (2022)	0.942[10] very high (12th)
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Drives on	right
Calling code	+32
ISO 3166 code	BE
Internet TLD	.be and .eu
The flag's official proportions of 13:15 are rarely seen; proportions of 2:3 or similar are more common. The Brussels region is the de facto capital, but the City of Brussels municipality is the de jure capital.[11] The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Belgium,[a] officially the Kingdom of Belgium,^[b] is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. It covers an area of 30,689 km² (11,849 sq mi)^[4] and has a population of more than 11.7 million.^[7] With 383/km² (990/sq mi), Belgium's population density ranks 22nd in the world and 6th in Europe. Belgium is part of an area known as the Low Countries, historically a somewhat larger region than the Benelux group of states, as it also included parts of northern France. The capital and largest metropolitan region is Brussels;^[c] other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

Belgium is a

GDP per capita. Belgium is also home to two main linguistic communities: the Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking), which constitutes about 60 percent of the population, and the French Community (French-speaking),^[d] which constitutes about 40 percent of the population. A small German-speaking Community, making up around one percent of the population, exists in the East Cantons. The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch,^[16] although French is the majority language and lingua franca.^[17] Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its complex system of governance, made up of six different governments

.

In 55 BC the region around Belgium was dominated by the Belgae, and became part of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, the region was part of the Carolingian Empire, and much of it was later part of the Holy Roman Empire, and subsequently the Burgundian Netherlands. Belgium's central location has kept it relatively prosperous and connected both commercially and politically to its bigger neighbours. The country as it exists today was established following the 1830 Belgian Revolution, when it seceded from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which had incorporated the Southern Netherlands (which comprised most of modern-day Belgium) after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Belgium has been called "the Battlefield of Europe",^[18] a reputation reinforced in the 20th century by both world wars.

Belgium was an early participant in the Industrial Revolution,^[19][20] and during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number of colonies, notably the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi.^[21][e] These colonies gained independence between 1960 and 1962.^[23] The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speakers and French-speakers, fueled by differences in political culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia. This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching state reforms, resulting in the transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement between 1970 and 1993. Despite the reforms, tensions have persisted: there is particularly significant separatist sentiment among the Flemish; language laws such as the municipalities with language facilities have been the source of much controversy;^[24] and the government formation period following the 2010 federal election set a world record at 589 days.^[25] Unemployment in Wallonia is more than double that of Flanders, which boomed after the Second World War.^[26][27]

Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy. The country is one of the six founding members of the European Union, and its capital, Brussels, is the de facto capital of the European Union itself, hosting the official seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, and the European Council, as well as one of two seats of the European Parliament (the other being Strasbourg). Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD, and WTO, and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union and the Schengen Area. Brussels also hosts the headquarters of many major international organizations, such as NATO.^[f]

History

Main article: History of Belgium

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Belgian history.

Antiquity

According to

Aduatuci. Caesar found these peoples particularly warlike and economically undeveloped, and described them as kinsmen of the Germanic tribes east of the Rhine. The area around Arlon in southern Belgium was a part of the country of the powerful Treveri

, to whom some of them paid tribute.

After Caesar's conquests, Gallia Belgica first came to be the Latin name of a large Roman province covering most of Northern Gaul, including the Belgae and Treveri. However, areas closer to the lower Rhine frontier, including the eastern part of modern Belgium, subsequently became part of the frontier province of Germania Inferior, which continued to interact with their neighbours outside the empire. At the time when central government collapsed in the Western Roman Empire, the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania were inhabited by a mix of a Romanized population and Germanic-speaking Franks who came to dominate the military and political class.

Middle Ages

During the 5th century, the area came under the rule of the Frankish Merovingian kings, who initially established a kingdom ruling over the Romanized population in what is now northern France, and then conquered the other Frankish kingdoms. During the 8th century, the empire of the Franks came to be ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, whose centre of power included the area which is now eastern Belgium.^[29] Over the centuries, it was divided up in many ways, but the Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms whose borders had a lasting impact on medieval political boundaries. Most of modern Belgium was in the Middle Kingdom, later known as Lotharingia, but the coastal county of Flanders, west of the Scheldt, became the northernmost part of West Francia, the predecessor of France. In 870 in the Treaty of Meerssen, modern Belgium lands all became part of the western kingdom for a period, but in 880 in the Treaty of Ribemont, Lotharingia came under the lasting control of the eastern kingdom, which became the Holy Roman Empire. The lordships and bishoprics along the "March" (frontier) between the two great kingdoms maintained important connections between each other. For example, the county of Flanders expanded over the Scheldt into the empire, and during several periods was ruled by the same lords as the county of Hainaut.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the cloth industry and commerce boomed especially in the County of Flanders and it became one of the richest areas in Europe. This prosperity played a role in conflicts between Flanders and the

king of France. Famously, Flemish militias scored a surprise victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs

against a strong force of mounted knights in 1302, but France soon regained control of the rebellious province.

Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands

In the 15th century, the Duke of Burgundy in France took control of Flanders, and from there proceeded to unite much of what is now the Benelux, the so-called Burgundian Netherlands.^[30] "Burgundy" and "Flanders" were the first two common names used for the Burgundian Netherlands which was the predecessor of the Austrian Netherlands, the predecessor of modern Belgium.^[31] The union, technically stretching between two kingdoms, gave the area economic and political stability which led to an even greater prosperity and artistic creation.

Born in Belgium, the Habsburg Emperor Charles V was heir of the Burgundians, but also of the royal families of Austria, Castile and Aragon. With the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 he gave the Seventeen Provinces more legitimacy as a stable entity, rather than just a temporary personal union. He also increased the influence of these Netherlands over the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, which continued to exist as a large semi-independent enclave.^[32]

Spanish and Austrian Netherlands

The Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) was triggered by the Spanish government's policy towards Protestantism, which was becoming popular in the Low Countries. The rebellious northern United Provinces (Belgica Foederata in Latin, the "Federated Netherlands") eventually separated from the Southern Netherlands (Belgica Regia, the "Royal Netherlands"). The southern part continued to be ruled successively by the Spanish (Spanish Netherlands) and the Austrian House of Habsburgs (Austrian Netherlands) and comprised most of modern Belgium. This was the theatre of several more protracted conflicts during much of the 17th and 18th centuries involving France, including the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678), the Nine Years' War (1688–1697), the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), and part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748).

French Revolution and United Kingdom of the Netherlands

Following the

campaigns of 1794 in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Low Countries – including territories that were never nominally under Habsburg rule, such as the Prince-Bishopric of Liège – were annexed by the French First Republic, ending Austrian rule in the region. A reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire

in 1814, after the abdication of Napoleon.

Independent Belgium

Gustaf Wappers

, 1834

In 1830, the

Napoleonic code.^[35] Although the franchise was initially restricted, universal suffrage for men was introduced after the general strike of 1893 (with plural voting

until 1919) and for women in 1949.

The main political parties of the 19th century were the

Constitution.^[36]

The Berlin Conference of 1885 ceded control of the Congo Free State to King Leopold II as his private possession. From around 1900 there was growing international concern for the extreme and savage treatment of the Congolese population under Leopold II, for whom the Congo was primarily a source of revenue from ivory and rubber production.^[37] Many Congolese were killed by Leopold's agents for failing to meet production quotas for ivory and rubber.^[38] In 1908, this outcry led the Belgian state to assume responsibility for the government of the colony, henceforth called the Belgian Congo.^[39] A Belgian commission in 1919 estimated that Congo's population was half what it was in 1879.^[38]

German colonies of Ruanda-Urundi (modern-day Rwanda and Burundi) during the war, and in 1924 the League of Nations mandated them to Belgium. In the aftermath of the First World War, Belgium annexed the Prussian districts of Eupen and Malmedy

in 1925, thereby causing the presence of a German-speaking minority.

many Belgians thought he had collaborated with Germany during the war.^[40] The Belgian Congo gained independence in 1960 during the Congo Crisis;^[41] Ruanda-Urundi followed with its independence two years later. Belgium joined NATO

as a founding member and formed the Benelux group of nations with the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Belgium became one of the six founding members of the

European Atomic Energy Community and European Economic Community, established in 1957. The latter has now become the European Union, for which Belgium hosts major administrations and institutions, including the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the extraordinary and committee sessions of the European Parliament

.

In the early 1990s, Belgium saw several large corruption scandals notably surrounding Marc Dutroux, Andre Cools, the Dioxin Affair, Agusta Scandal and the murder of Karel van Noppen.^[42]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Belgium

Belgium shares borders with France (620 km), Germany (162/167 km), Luxembourg (148 km), and the Netherlands (450 km). Its total surface, including water area, is 30,689 km² (11,849 sq mi).^[4] Before 2018, its total area was believed to be 30,528 km² (11,787 sq mi). However, when the country's statistics were measured in 2018, a new calculation method was used. Unlike previous calculations, this one included the area from the coast to the low-water line, revealing the country to be 160 km² (62 sq mi) larger in surface area than previously thought.^[43][44] Its land area alone is 30,494 square kilometers.^[5] It lies between latitudes 49°30' and 51°30' N, and longitudes 2°33' and 6°24' E.^[45]

Belgium has three main geographical regions; the coastal plain in the northwest and the central plateau both belong to the Anglo-Belgian Basin, and the Ardennes uplands in the southeast to the Hercynian orogenic belt. The Paris Basin reaches a small fourth area at Belgium's southernmost tip, Belgian Lorraine.^[46]

The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Further inland lies a smooth, slowly rising landscape irrigated by numerous waterways, with fertile valleys and the northeastern sandy plain of the Campine (Kempen). The thickly forested hills and plateaus of the Ardennes are more rugged and rocky with caves and small gorges. Extending westward into France, this area is eastwardly connected to the Eifel in Germany by the High Fens plateau, on which the Signal de Botrange forms the country's highest point at 694 m (2,277 ft).^[47][48]

The climate is maritime temperate with significant precipitation in all seasons (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), like most of northwest Europe.^[49] The average temperature is lowest in January at 3 °C (37.4 °F) and highest in July at 18 °C (64.4 °F). The average precipitation per month varies between 54 mm (2.1 in) for February and April, to 78 mm (3.1 in) for July.^[50] Averages for the years 2000 to 2006 show daily temperature minimums of 7 °C (44.6 °F) and maximums of 14 °C (57.2 °F) and monthly rainfall of 74 mm (2.9 in); these are about 1 °C and nearly 10 millimeters above last century's normal values, respectively.^[51]

terrestrial ecoregions of Atlantic mixed forests and Western European broadleaf forests.^[53][54] Belgium had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 1.36/10, ranking it 163rd globally out of 172 countries.^[55] In Belgium forest cover is around 23% of the total land area, equivalent to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 677,400 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 251,200 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 438,200 hectares (ha). For the year 2015, 47% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 53% private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.^[56][57]

Provinces

Antwerp  East Flanders  Flemish        Brabant   Hainaut  Liège   Limburg   Luxembourg   Namur  Walloon Brabant  West Flanders    Flanders    Wallonia    Brussels

Main article: Provinces of Belgium

The territory of Belgium is divided into three Regions, two of which, the

Brussels Capital Region

, is neither a province nor a part of a province.

Province	Dutch name	French name	German name	Capital	Area[4]	Population (1 January 2024)[7]	Density	ISO 3166-2:BE [58]
Flemish Region
Antwerp	Antwerpen	Anvers	Antwerpen	Antwerp	2,876 km2 (1,110 sq mi)	1,926,522	670/km2 (1,700/sq mi)	VAN
East Flanders	Oost-Vlaanderen	Flandre orientale	Ostflandern	Ghent	3,007 km2 (1,161 sq mi)	1,572,002	520/km2 (1,300/sq mi)	VOV
Flemish Brabant	Vlaams-Brabant	Brabant flamand	Flämisch-Brabant	Leuven	2,118 km2 (818 sq mi)	1,196,773	570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)	VBR
Limburg	Limburg	Limbourg	Limburg	Hasselt	2,427 km2 (937 sq mi)	900,098	370/km2 (960/sq mi)	VLI
West Flanders	West-Vlaanderen	Flandre occidentale	Westflandern	Bruges	3,197 km2 (1,234 sq mi)	1,226,375	380/km2 (980/sq mi)	VWV
Walloon Region
Hainaut	Henegouwen	Hainaut	Hennegau	Mons	3,813 km2 (1,472 sq mi)	1,360,074	360/km2 (930/sq mi)	WHT
Liège	Luik	Liège	Lüttich	Liège	3,857 km2 (1,489 sq mi)	1,119,038	290/km2 (750/sq mi)	WLG
Luxembourg	Luxemburg	Luxembourg	Luxemburg	Arlon	4,459 km2 (1,722 sq mi)	295,146	66/km2 (170/sq mi)	WLX
Namur	Namen	Namur	Namur (Namür)	Namur	3,675 km2 (1,419 sq mi)	503,895	140/km2 (360/sq mi)	WNA
Walloon Brabant	Waals-Brabant	Brabant wallon	Wallonisch-Brabant	Wavre	1,097 km2 (424 sq mi)	414,130	380/km2 (980/sq mi)	WBR
Brussels Capital Region
Brussels Capital Region	Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest	Région de Bruxelles-Capitale	Region Brüssel-Hauptstadt	Brussels City	162 km2 (63 sq mi)	1,249,597	7,700/km2 (20,000/sq mi)	BBR
Total	België	Belgique	Belgien	Brussels City	30,689 km2 (11,849 sq mi)	11,763,650	383/km2 (990/sq mi)

Politics and government

Main articles:

Belgian federal government

Philippe
King of the Belgians
since 21 July 2013

Alexander De Croo
Prime Minister of Belgium
since 1 October 2020

Belgium is a

proportional voting system from 11 electoral districts. Belgium has compulsory voting and thus maintains one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the world.^[59]

The

federal government. The Council of Ministers is composed of no more than fifteen members. With the possible exception of the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers is composed of an equal number of Dutch-speaking members and French-speaking members.^[60]

The judicial system is based on

Napoleonic code. The Court of Cassation is the court of last resort, with the courts of appeal one level below.^[61]

Political culture

Belgium's political institutions are complex; most political power rests on representation of the main cultural communities.^[62] Since about 1970, the significant national

Belgian political parties have split into distinct components that mainly represent the political and linguistic interests of these communities.^[63]

The major parties in each community, though close to the political center, belong to three main groups: Christian Democrats, Liberals, and Social Democrats.^[64] Further notable parties came into being well after the middle of last century, mainly to represent linguistic, nationalist, or environmental interests, and recently smaller ones of some specific liberal nature.^[63]

A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958

2003 election.^[69]

The government led by Prime Minister

opposed the invasion of Iraq.^[72] It is the only country that does not have age restrictions on euthanasia.^[73]

Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the

Francophone Social Democrats.^[78]

On that day a new government, led by Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme, the actual winner of the federal elections of June 2007, was sworn in by the king. On 15 July 2008 Leterme offered the resignation of the cabinet to the king, as no progress in constitutional reforms had been made.^[78] In December 2008, Leterme once more offered his resignation after a

Christian Democratic and Flemish Herman Van Rompuy was sworn in as Prime Minister on 30 December 2008.^[80]

After Herman Van Rompuy was designated the first permanent

OpenVLD, withdrew from the government, and on 26 April 2010 King Albert officially accepted the resignation.^[82]

The Parliamentary elections in Belgium on 13 June 2010 saw the Flemish nationalist N-VA become the largest party in Flanders, and the Socialist Party PS the largest party in Wallonia.^[83] Until December 2011, Belgium was governed by Leterme's caretaker government awaiting the end of the deadlocked negotiations for formation of a new government. By 30 March 2011, this set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government, previously held by war-torn Iraq.^[84] Finally, in December 2011 the Di Rupo Government led by Walloon socialist Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo was sworn in.^[85]

The

regional elections) resulted in a further electoral gain for the Flemish nationalist N-VA, although the incumbent coalition (composed of Flemish and French-speaking Social Democrats, Liberals, and Christian Democrats) maintains a solid majority in Parliament and in all electoral constituencies. On 22 July 2014, King Philippe nominated Charles Michel (MR) and Kris Peeters (CD&V) to lead the formation of a new federal cabinet composed of the Flemish parties N-VA, CD&V, Open Vld and the French-speaking MR, which resulted in the Michel Government. It was the first time N-VA was part of the federal cabinet, while the French-speaking side was represented only by the MR, which achieved a minority of the public votes in Wallonia.^[86]

In May 2019 federal elections in the Flemish-speaking northern region of Flanders far-right Vlaams Belang party made major gains. In the French-speaking southern area of Wallonia the Socialists were strong. The moderate Flemish nationalist party the N-VA remained the largest party in parliament.^[87] In July 2019 prime minister Charles Michel was selected to hold the post of President of the European Council.^[88] His successor Sophie Wilmès was Belgium's first female prime minister. She led the caretaker government since October 2019.^[89] The Flemish Liberal party politician Alexander De Croo became new prime minister in October 2020. The parties had agreed on federal government 16 months after the elections.^[90]

Communities and regions

Main article:

Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium

Brussels-Capital Region / bilingual area

  Walloon Region

/ French and German language areas

Based on the four language areas defined in 1962–63 (the Dutch, bilingual, French and German language areas), consecutive revisions of the country's constitution in 1970, 1980, 1988 and 1993 established a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels:^[95][96]

1. The
   federal government
   , based in Brussels.
2. The three language communities:
   • the Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking);
   • the French Community (French-speaking);^[g]
   • the German-speaking Community.
3. The three regions:
   • the Flemish Region, subdivided into five provinces;
   • the Walloon Region, subdivided into five provinces;
   • the
     Brussels-Capital Region
     .

The constitutional language areas determine the official languages in their municipalities, as well as the geographical limits of the empowered institutions for specific matters.^[99] Although this would allow for seven parliaments and governments when the Communities and Regions were created in 1980, Flemish politicians decided to merge both.^[100] Thus the Flemings just have one single institutional body of parliament and government is empowered for all except federal and specific municipal matters.^[h]

The overlapping boundaries of the Regions and Communities have created two notable peculiarities: the territory of the Brussels-Capital Region (which came into existence nearly a decade after the other regions) is included in both the Flemish and French Communities, and the territory of the German-speaking Community lies wholly within the Walloon Region. Conflicts about jurisdiction between the bodies are resolved by the

Regions have authority in fields that can be broadly associated with their territory. These include economy, employment, agriculture, water policy, housing, public works, energy, transport, the environment, town and country planning, nature conservation, credit and foreign trade. They supervise the provinces, municipalities and intercommunal utility companies.[104]

In several fields, the different levels each have their own say on specifics. With education, for instance, the autonomy of the Communities neither includes decisions about the compulsory aspect nor allows for setting minimum requirements for awarding qualifications, which remain federal matters.^[101] Each level of government can be involved in scientific research and international relations associated with its powers. The treaty-making power of the Regions' and Communities' Governments is the broadest of all the Federating units of all the Federations all over the world.^{[105][106][107]}

Because of its location at the crossroads of Western Europe, Belgium has historically been the route of invading armies from its larger neighbors. With virtually defenseless borders, Belgium has traditionally sought to avoid domination by the more powerful nations which surround it through a policy of mediation. The Belgians have been strong advocates of European integration. The headquarters of NATO and of several of the institutions of the European Union are located in Belgium.

The Belgian Armed Forces had 23,200 active personnel in 2023, including 8,500 in the

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index,Belgium is the 16th most peaceful country in the world.^[113]

Belgium's strongly globalized economy

Belgium was the first continental European country to undergo the

After World War II, Ghent and Antwerp experienced a rapid expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries. The 1973 and 1979 oil crises sent the economy into a recession; it was particularly prolonged in Wallonia, where the steel industry had become less competitive and experienced a serious decline.^[126] In the 1980s and 1990s, the economic center of the country continued to shift northwards and is now concentrated in the populous Flemish Diamond area.^[127]

By the end of the 1980s, Belgian

Despite an 18% decrease observed from 1970 to 1999, Belgium still had in 1999 the highest rail network density within the European Union with 113.8 km/1 000 km². On the other hand, the same period, 1970–1999, has seen a huge growth (+56%) of the motorway network. In 1999, the density of km motorways per 1000 km² and 1000 inhabitants amounted to 55.1 and 16.5 respectively and were significantly superior to the EU's means of 13.7 and 15.9.^[131]

From a biological resource perspective, Belgium has a low endowment: Belgium's biocapacity adds up to only 0.8 global hectares in 2016,^[132] just about half of the 1.6 global hectares of biocapacity available per person worldwide.^[133] In contrast, in 2016, Belgians used on average 6.3 global hectares of biocapacity - their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they required about eight times as much biocapacity as Belgium contains. As a result, Belgium was running a biocapacity deficit of 5.5 global hectares per person in 2016.^[132]

Belgium experiences some of the most congested traffic in Europe. In 2010, commuters to the cities of Brussels and Antwerp spent respectively 65 and 64 hours a year in traffic jams.^[134] Like in most small European countries, more than 80% of the airways traffic is handled by a single airport, the Brussels Airport. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge (Bruges) share more than 80% of Belgian maritime traffic, Antwerp being the second European harbor with a gross weight of goods handled of 115 988 000 t in 2000 after a growth of 10.9% over the preceding five years.^[131][135] In 2016, the port of Antwerp handled 214 million tons after a year-on-year growth of 2.7%.^[136]

There is a large economic gap between Flanders and Wallonia. Wallonia was historically wealthy compared to Flanders, mostly due to its heavy industries, but the decline of the steel industry post-World War II led to the region's rapid decline, whereas Flanders rose swiftly. Since then, Flanders has been prosperous, among the wealthiest regions in Europe, whereas Wallonia has been languishing. As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders. The divide has played a key part in the tensions between the Flemish and Walloons in addition to the already-existing language divide. Pro-independence movements have gained high popularity in Flanders as a consequence. The separatist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) party, for instance, is the largest party in Belgium.^{[137][138][139]}

Contributions to the development of science and technology have appeared throughout the country's history. The 16th century

As of 1 January 2024, the total population of Belgium according to its population register was 11,763,650.

In 2017 the average total fertility rate (TFR) across Belgium was 1.64 children per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1; it remains considerably below the high of 4.87 children born per woman in 1873.^[153] Belgium subsequently has one of the oldest populations in the world, with an average age of 41.6 years.^[154]

As of 2007^[update], nearly 92% of the population had Belgian citizenship,^[155] and other European Union member citizens account for around 6%. The prevalent foreign nationals were Italian (171,918), French (125,061), Dutch (116,970), Moroccan (80,579), Portuguese (43,509), Spanish (42,765), Turkish (39,419) and German (37,621).^[156][157] In 2007, there were 1.38 million foreign-born residents in Belgium, corresponding to 12.9% of the total population. Of these, 685,000 (6.4%) were born outside the EU and 695,000 (6.5%) were born in another EU Member State.^[158][159]

At the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed around 25% of the total population i.e. 2.8 million new Belgians.

Statbel released figures of the Belgian population in relation to the origin of people in Belgium. According to the data, as of 1 January 2021, 67.3% of the Belgian population was of ethnic Belgian origin and 32.7% were of foreign origin or nationality, with 20.3% of those of a foreign nationality or ethnic group originating from neighbouring countries. The study also found that 74.5% of the Brussels Capital Region were of non-Belgian origin, of which 13.8% originated from neighbouring countries.^[163]

Largest cities or towns in Belgium Numbers according to the Belgium's National Register,[164] (1 January 2023)
	Rank	Name	Region	Pop.	Rank	Name	Region	Pop.
Antwerp Ghent	1	Antwerp	Flanders	536,079	11	Molenbeek-Saint-Jean/Sint-Jans-Molenbeek	Brussels	97,610	Charleroi Liège
	2	Ghent	Flanders	267,709	12	Mons	Wallonia	96,055
	3	Charleroi	Wallonia	203,245	13	Aalst	Flanders	89,915
	4	Liège	Wallonia	194,877	14	Mechelen	Flanders	88,463
	5	City of Brussels	Brussels	192,950	15	Ixelles/Elsene	Brussels	88,081
	6	Schaerbeek/Schaarbeek	Brussels	130,422	16	Uccle/Ukkel	Brussels	85,706
	7	Anderlecht	Brussels	124,353	17	La Louvière	Wallonia	81,293
	8	Bruges	Flanders	119,445	18	Sint-Niklaas	Flanders	81,066
	9	Namur	Wallonia	113,174	19	Hasselt	Flanders	80,299
	10	Leuven	Flanders	102,851	20	Kortrijk	Flanders	78,841

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. A number of non-official minority languages are spoken as well.^[165] As no census exists, there are no official statistical data regarding the distribution or usage of Belgium's three official languages or their dialects.^[166] However, various criteria, including the language(s) of parents, of education, or the second-language status of foreign born, may provide suggested figures. An estimated 60% of the Belgian population are native speakers of Dutch (often referred to as Flemish), and 40% of the population speaks French natively. French-speaking Belgians are often referred to as Walloons, although the French speakers in Brussels are not Walloons.^[j]

The total number of native Dutch speakers is estimated to be about 6.23 million, concentrated in the northern Flanders region, while native French speakers number 3.32 million in Wallonia and an estimated 870,000 (or 85%) in the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.^[k][167] The German-speaking Community is made up of 73,000 people in the east of the Walloon Region; around 10,000 German and 60,000 Belgian nationals are speakers of German. Roughly 23,000 more German speakers live in municipalities near the official Community.^{[168][169][170][171]}

Both

The

Catholicism has traditionally been Belgium's majority religion; being especially strong in Flanders. However, by 2009 Sunday church attendance was 5% for Belgium in total; 3% in Brussels,^[177] and 5.4% in Flanders. Church attendance in 2009 in Belgium was roughly half of the Sunday church attendance in 1998 (11% for the total of Belgium in 1998).^[178] Despite the drop in church attendance, Catholic identity nevertheless remains an important part of Belgium's culture.^[175]

According to the Eurobarometer 2010,

A 2008 estimate found that approximately 6% of the Belgian population (628,751 people) is Muslim. Muslims constitute 23.6% of the population of Brussels, 4.9% of Wallonia and 5.1% of Flanders. The majority of Belgian Muslims live in the major cities, such as Antwerp, Brussels and Charleroi. The largest group of immigrants in Belgium are Moroccans, with 400,000 people. The Turks are the third largest group, and the second largest Muslim ethnic group, numbering 220,000.^[184][185]

The Belgians enjoy good health. According to 2012 estimates, the average life expectancy is 79.65 years.^[118] Since 1960, life expectancy has, in line with the European average, grown by two months per year. Death in Belgium is mainly due to heart and vascular disorders, neoplasms, disorders of the respiratory system and unnatural causes of death (accidents, suicide). Non-natural causes of death and cancer are the most common causes of death for females up to age 24 and males up to age 44.^[186]

Healthcare in Belgium is financed through both social security contributions and taxation. Health insurance is compulsory. Health care is delivered by a mixed public and private system of independent medical practitioners and public, university and semi-private hospitals. Health care service are payable by the patient and reimbursed later by health insurance institutions, but for ineligible categories (of patients and services) so-called 3rd party payment systems exist.^[186] The Belgian health care system is supervised and financed by the federal government, the Flemish and Walloon Regional governments; and the German Community also has (indirect) oversight and responsibilities.^[186]

For the first time in Belgian history, the first child was euthanized following the 2-year mark of the removal of the euthanization age restrictions. The child had been euthanized due to an incurable disease that was inflicted upon the child. Although there may have been some support for the euthanization there is a possibility of controversy due to the issue revolving around the subject of assisted suicide.^[187]

Excluding assisted suicide, Belgium has the highest suicide rate in Western Europe and one of the

Education is compulsory from 6 to 18 years of age for Belgians.

Mirroring the structure of the 19th-century Belgian political landscape, characterized by the Liberal and the Catholic parties, the educational system is segregated into secular and religious schools. The secular branch of schooling is controlled by the communities, the provinces, or the municipalities, while religious, mainly Catholic branch education, is organized by religious authorities, which are also subsidized and supervised by the communities.^[194]

Despite its

Contributions to painting and architecture have been especially rich. The

Belgian contributions to architecture also continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, including the work of Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde, who were major initiators of the Art Nouveau style.^[207][208]

The vocal music of the Franco-Flemish School developed in the southern part of the Low Countries and was an important contribution to Renaissance culture.^[209] In the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an emergence of major violinists, such as Henri Vieuxtemps, Eugène Ysaÿe and Arthur Grumiaux, while Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1846. The composer César Franck was born in Liège in 1822. Contemporary popular music in Belgium is also of repute. Jazz musicians Django Reinhardt and Toots Thielemans and singer Jacques Brel have achieved global fame. Nowadays, singer Stromae has been a musical revelation in Europe and beyond, having great success. In rock/pop music, Telex, Front 242, K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Zap Mama, Soulwax and dEUS are well known. In the heavy metal scene, bands like Machiavel, Channel Zero and Enthroned have a worldwide fan-base.^[210]

Belgium has produced several well-known

Folklore plays a major role in Belgium's cultural life; the country has a comparatively high number of processions,

Other examples are the three-day Carnival of Aalst in February or March; the still very religious processions of the Holy Blood taking place in Bruges in May, the Virga Jesse procession held every seven years in Hasselt, the annual procession of Hanswijk in Mechelen, the 15 August festivities in Liège, and the Walloon festival in Namur. Originated in 1832 and revived in the 1960s, the Gentse Feesten (a music and theatre festival organized in Ghent around Belgian National Day, on 21 July) have become a modern tradition. Several of these festivals include sporting competitions, such as cycling, and many fall under the category of kermesses.

A major non-official holiday (which is however not an official public holiday) is Saint Nicholas Day (Dutch: Sinterklaas, French: la Saint-Nicolas), a festivity for children, and in Liège, for students.^[214] It takes place each year on 6 December and is a sort of early Christmas. On the evening of 5 December, before going to bed, children put their shoes by the hearth with water or wine and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse or donkey. According to tradition, Saint Nicholas comes at night and travels down the chimney. He then takes the food and water or wine, leaves presents, goes back up, feeds his horse or donkey, and continues on his course. He also knows whether children have been good or bad. This holiday is especially loved by children in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dutch immigrants imported the tradition into the United States, where Saint Nicholas is now known as Santa Claus.

Belgium is famous for beer, chocolate, waffles and French fries. The national dishes are steak and fries, and mussels with fries.^{[215][216][217]} Many highly ranked Belgian restaurants can be found in the most influential restaurant guides, such as the Michelin Guide.^[218] One of the many beers with the high prestige is that of the Trappist monks. Technically, it is an ale and traditionally each abbey's beer is served in its own glass (the forms, heights and widths are different). There are only eleven breweries (six of them are Belgian) that are allowed to brew Trappist beer.

Although Belgian gastronomy is connected to French cuisine, some

Since the 1970s, sports clubs and federations are organized separately within each

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin both were Player of the Year in the Women's Tennis Association as they were ranked the number one female tennis player. The

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