More than half of Brussels residents were not Belgian at birth

A minority of Brussels residents were born with the Belgian nationality, writes Bruzz based on a study by the Brussels Institute of Statistics and Analysis (BISA). Over the past 16 years, the number of foreigners in Brussels has gradually grown to outnumber the Belgian-born inhabitants. This applies to both foreigners who retained their nationality and those who have since adopted the Belgian nationality.

Most statistics only take into account current nationality, but in this analysis, BISA charted the birth status of the Brussels population based on the first nationality listed in the National Register.

The analysis reveals that while 65% of Brussels inhabitants had the Belgian nationality on 1 January, 2016, only 44% were Belgian at birth. This means that many Brussels-born foreigners change their nationality over time.

The results reveal a mainly Brussels phenomenon, as only one Belgian in 10 was not born a Belgian.