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Belgium · region

Brussels-Capital Region population 2026

Brussels-Capital Region has 1,271,709 people on the latest official figure, for 1 January 2025, 7,338 more than a year earlier (+0.58%). It is 3rd of Belgium’s 3 regions by population, home to 10.7% of Belgium’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 1.3 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Brussels-Capital Region in numbers

Population
1.3 million 1 January 2025
Change in a year
+0.58% +7,338 people
Change since 2020
+3.95% from 1.2 million
Share of Belgium
10.7% 3rd of 3 regions
Population density
7,880per km² 161 km²

That is about as many people as Eswatini (1.3 million).

Population of Brussels-Capital Region by year

Population of Brussels-Capital Region
1.3M
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
20121,151,317
20131,165,208
20141,172,751
20151,184,101
20161,201,285
20171,199,095
20181,205,492
20191,215,290
20201,223,364
20211,226,329
20221,228,655
20231,253,178
20241,264,371
20251,271,709
YearPopulationChange
2025 1,271,709 +7,338
2024 1,264,371 +11,193
2023 1,253,178 +24,523
2022 1,228,655 +2,326
2021 1,226,329 +2,965
2020 1,223,364 +8,074
2019 1,215,290 +9,798
2018 1,205,492 +6,397
2017 1,199,095 −2,190
2016 1,201,285 +17,184
2015 1,184,101 +11,350
2014 1,172,751 +7,543
2013 1,165,208 +13,891
2012 1,151,317 –

Brussels-Capital Region among Belgium’s regions

Full ranking →
Regions of Belgium by population
#
1 Flanders6,884,271+0.66%
2 Wallonia3,727,515+0.37%
3 Brussels-Capital Region1,271,709+0.58%

Largest cities in Brussels-Capital Region

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

  1. Brussels1,019,022
  2. Anderlecht160,553
  3. Schaerbeek132,761
  4. Molenbeek-Saint-Jean97,037
  5. Ixelles86,671
  6. Uccle82,929

Air quality in Brussels-Capital Region today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.

Brussels

Questions

What is the population of Brussels-Capital Region in 2026?
The latest official figure is 1,271,709, for 1 January 2025 (Eurostat). If last year’s change continues, Brussels-Capital Region would have about 1.3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year.

Is Brussels-Capital Region’s population growing or shrinking?
It grew by 7,338 people (+0.58%) in the latest year, and has changed +3.95% since 2020.

How does Brussels-Capital Region rank in Belgium?
Brussels-Capital Region is 3rd of Belgium’s 3 regions, with 10.7% of the people. Flanders is the largest, with 6.9 million.

What is the population density of Brussels-Capital Region?
About 7,880 people per km², on 161 km². Total area, Wikidata.

What is the largest city in Brussels-Capital Region?
Brussels, with about 1 million people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

Eurostat, population on 1 January by NUTS region (demo_r_d2jan). Eurostat reuse policy (CC BY 4.0). Total area, Wikidata. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Belgium, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Brussels-Capital Region population, Eurostat, 1 January 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/belgium/brussels-capital-region/

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