The number of non-Belgian European Union nationals residing in Brussels currently stands at an all-time high, according to the Brussels Institute of Statistics and Analysis (IBSA).
The Institute reports that about one in four Brussels inhabitants hold a nationality from an EU country but are not Belgian. Most notably represented are France (69,984 individuals), Romania (46,572) and Italy (35,929). The least represented EU countries are Malta, Cyprus and Estonia.
Situated at the heart of Europe and the European institutions, Brussels is home to a significant number of expats. The number of non-Belgian EU nationals has been consistently rising within the Brussels-Capital Region since its establishment in 1989.
A record-breaking population of 287,590 such individuals was recorded in 2023, accounting for 23.2% of the total Brussels population.
Among European nationals residing in Brussels, Romanians tend to be the youngest (averaging 32 years), while Luxembourgers are the oldest (averaging 45 years). The most heavily female national group within the Brussels territory is Estonian, with nearly seven out of ten nationals, far outpacing Romania where women only make up 44% of their nationals.
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The publication also highlighted the exceptionally high number of international immigrations in 2022, with around 62,500 arrivals in Brussels territory, greatly influenced by the influx of refugees from Ukraine following Russia's invasion.
Lastly, as of 31 December 2022, there were 51,593 employees within the international institutions based in the Belgian capital.
