Belgium vs France: Population in the largest city
Belgium
20.5%
in 2025
France
20.9%
in 2025
Belgium rank
114th
France rank
113th
Population in the largest city over time
- Belgium
- France
How they compare
France currently reports 20.9% against 20.5% in Belgium, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was France ahead.
Belgium ranks 114th and France ranks 113th of 153 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 4 and France in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 0.1% | Belgium |
| 1970s | 22.7% | 21.7% | 1.0% | Belgium |
| 1980s | 22.2% | 21.5% | 0.7% | Belgium |
| 1990s | 21.3% | 21.3% | 0.0% | France |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 20.7% | 0.4% | Belgium |
| 2010s | 20.6% | 20.7% | 0.1% | France |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 20.8% | 0.2% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in the largest city, Belgium or France?
- France, at 20.9% against 20.5% in Belgium as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in the largest city between Belgium and France?
- 0.4%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and France?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and France rank globally for population in the largest city?
- Belgium ranks 114th and France ranks 113th of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.