Belgian population forecast to reach almost 13m by 2070
Belgium’s population is expected to grow by 1.2 million in the next 45 years, according to a demographic forecast by the Federal Planning Bureau and statistics agency Statbel. The number of older people will continue to increase significantly.
The population in 2024 was 11.7 million. Over the next few years, the number is predicted to grow by an average of 30,000 people a year to a total of 12.9 million by 2070.
Migration will remain the main driver of demographic growth, and the only driver from the late 2030s, as the natural balance of births minus deaths is forecast to become negative from 2038.
Life expectancy gap
The bureau expects the population of Flanders to reach 8.0 million in 2070, compared with 6.8 million in 2024, while the populations of Wallonia and Brussels are expected to remain virtually stable at 3.7 million and 1.2 million respectively.
The ageing of the population is reflected in a predicted sharp increase in the dependency ratio, which expresses the proportion of people aged 67 and over in relation to the number of working age people.
In 2024, there were 28 people aged 67 and over for every 100 people aged 18 to 66. This is predicted to rise to 37 in 2040 and 43 in 2070.
The gap in life expectancy between men and women is also expected to narrow, from 4.1 years in 2023 to 1.7 years in 2070. Life expectancy at birth will reach 88.9 for the total population: 89.8 for women and 88.1 for men.
People at Porte de Namur in Brussels, December 2024 © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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