A record number of EU citizens left Belgium in 2024, according to the annual report of the Belgian migration agency, cited by the Belga agency.
At the same time, the number of immigrants in the country remained stable compared to the previous year, after the refugee wave from Ukraine led to a sharp increase in 2022.
In 2024, 171,706 foreigners immigrated to Belgium. Their number is similar to that in 2023, but remains higher than the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost half of the newcomers are citizens of EU countries. Another 14% come from European countries outside the Union, 17% – from Asia, 16% - from Africa, and 5% - from North and South America.
The largest group of immigrants are Romanian citizens - 18,845 people, with a predominance of men, and the main reason for their arrival is employment. They are followed by citizens of France, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Spain and Morocco. France is the country with the largest number of female immigrants, and women also predominate among those arriving from Latin America, the Caribbean and East Asia.
In 2024, 91,866 foreigners left Belgium. Although the total number remains relatively stable, a historic record was recorded among EU citizens - 61,338 people left the country. The largest number are Romanians (15,414), followed by the French (10,442) and the Dutch (6,256).
The Belgian authorities point out that the emigration of EU citizens is a complex process that depends on the different mobility patterns of individual nationalities. According to the agency, no single reason for the increased number of leavers can be given.
According to the report, as of January 1, 2025, the population of Belgium amounted to 11,825,551 people. Of these, 10,190,627 are Belgian citizens, and 1,634,924 are foreigners.
Among Belgian citizens, 7,571,338 are of Belgian origin, while 2,619,289 are of foreign origin, which represents about 22% of the country's total population.