Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Belgium
Belgium: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 388.88 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Population density in Belgium, 2000–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Belgium is 388.88 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Belgium peaked at 388.88 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 337.96 people per sq. km of land area, in 2000.
That places Belgium 29th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 337.96 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 2001 | 339.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 340.64 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 342.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 343.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 345.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 347.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 350.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 353.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 355.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 359.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 363.9 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 366.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 367.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 369.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 371.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 373.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 375.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 374.74 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 376.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 378.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 379.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 383.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 386.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 388.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 388.88 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 2.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 388.88 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 4.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 345.59 people per sq. km of land area | 337.96 people per sq. km of land area | 355.93 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 369.85 people per sq. km of land area | 359.2 people per sq. km of land area | 376.76 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 383.31 people per sq. km of land area | 378.39 people per sq. km of land area | 388.88 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 26 Comoros 463.51 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 27 Israel 462.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 28 Haiti 427.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 30 Philippines 388.52 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 31 Tuvalu 371 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 32 Puerto Rico 361.05 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Belgium
- Population in the largest city 20.5% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2685 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 3.21 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.4106 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 104.26 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 2.14 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 8.9 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 261.1 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Belgium?
- Population density in Belgium was 388.88 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 388.88 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 337.96 people per sq. km of land area in 2000.
- How does Belgium rank for population density?
- Belgium ranks 29th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.