Nearly a quarter of Brussels residents have non-Belgian EU nationality

The number of non-Belgian European citizens in the Brussels-Capital Region has never been higher, according to the annual Mini-Bru report by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis. In 2023, Brussels had 287,590 people of non-Belgian European nationality, or 23.2 per cent of its population.

With 69,984 of its nationals living in Brussels, France is the country best represented. Romania, with 46,572 people, is in second place and has seen a remarkable increase, almost tripling from 2010. Italy completes the top three with 35,929 people.

Malta, Cyprus and Estonia are the least represented EU member states, each with less than 1,000 people.

Among European citizens, Romanians are the youngest, with an average age of 32, while Luxembourgers are the oldest, at 45. With almost seven women for every 10 men, Estonia has the most women in Brussels, while only 44 per cent of Romanians in Brussels are female.

^{© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}