More and more people living in France are crossing to Belgium to find work, according to figures analysed by HR services company DS Worx.
For over two decades now, French residents have been crossing the border to work in Belgium; in 2007, fewer than 30,000 worked in Belgium, compared to just over 36,000 a decade ago.
And in 2024, just over 39,000 French residents worked in Belgium.
By mid-2025, almost 52,000 cross-border workers were employed in the country, with French people making up to 40,000.
Most work in the provinces of Hainaut and Namur, which border France. However, thousands travel further into Belgium, including 3,157 working in West Flanders and 2,356 in East Flanders.
Workers from neighbouring countries also commute into Belgium, although in much smaller numbers. Just over 10,000 come from the Netherlands, while around 1,000 come from Germany and several hundred from Luxembourg.
Meanwhile, the flow in the other direction is even larger. More than 85,000 people living in Belgium were working across the border by mid-2025, although this was slightly down on the previous year.
Luxembourg is their main destination, employing more than 48,000 Belgian cross-border workers. The Netherlands comes second with more than 21,000, although the number working there continues to fall.
