Planning Bureau predicts decrease of population rate in Brussels and Wallonia

Brussels and Wallonia will face shrinking populations in upcoming decades while the Flemish population will continue to grow, the Federal Planning Bureau predicts in a new study.

In 2030, Brussels will see smaller population growth, a trend that will likely affect Wallonia in 2024. Between 2023 and 2070, the Planning Bureau expects the Flemish population to grow by 17 per cent. In Wallonia it would be by only 2 per cent and in Brussels there would be a 4 per cent decrease over that period. 2070 would see an increase in population from 11.7 million to 12.9 million peopel in Belgium.

In the coming years, the Planning Bureau expects migration to continue to be the main driver of population growth. From 2040 onwards, the population is expected to grow exclusively through migration.

© STATBEL
© STATBEL

The Planning Bureau assumes that migration will stabilise at around 160,000 immigrants per year in the coming years. The immigration flow from non-EU countries is increasing, but it is decreasing from the newest EU member states. Emigration is expected to stabilise at around 130,000 people per year, according to the Planning Bureau.

The natural balance of number of births and deaths will become negative from 2040. According to an updated methodology, the fertility rate will slightly increase. In 2022, there were an average of 1.5 children per woman. By 2035, that number is expected to rise to 1.6. This is still significantly lower than the level of the late 2000s when there were 1.9 children per woman.

 

© PHOTO FRANCOIS WALSCHAERTS / AFP


Related news

Website preview
Flemish region grows to almost 6.8m inhabitants
At the beginning of 2023, the population in Flanders reached nearly 6.8 million, figures from Statistics Flanders show.
belganewsagency.eu
Website preview
Increase in people moving to Flanders from Brussels and Wallonia
People in Flanders are increasingly moving to another municipality in Flanders or another Belgian region. The number of people moving from...
belganewsagency.eu

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu