Population (national level) (demo_pop)

1.1. Contact organisation

Statistics Belgium

1.2. Contact organisation unit

Thematic Direction Demography

1.3. Contact name

Confidential because of GDPR

1.4. Contact person function

Confidential because of GDPR

1.5. Contact mail address

Statistics Belgium

North Gate - Koning Albert II-laan 16 

1000 Brussel

BELGIUM

1.6. Contact email address

Confidential because of GDPR

1.7. Contact phone number

Confidential because of GDPR

1.8. Contact fax number

Confidential because of GDPR

2.1. Metadata last certified

11 December 2024

2.2. Metadata last posted

5 February 2025

2.3. Metadata last update

5 February 2025

3.1. Data description

Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.

This Euro SDMX Metadata Structure is used for the purpose of quality reporting. The definition of the quality concepts and guidelines are described in the European Statistical System Handbook for Quality Reports..

Immigrations and emigrations, changes in citizenship, births and deaths, population based on the Belgian Population Register

3.2. Classification system

The regional breakdown of the Member States in the regional demographic tables is done under the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS.

For more information on the versions in force, please see: Eurostat NUST.

3.3. Coverage - sector

National level.

3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
	1.Usually Resident Population	2. Legal Residence Population	3. Registered Residence Population	4. Other
Population	X
Live births	X
Deaths	X
Immigrants	X
Emigrants	X
Acquisitions of citizenship	X
Loss of citizenship	X
Legally induced abortions
Late foetal deaths
Infant deaths
Marriages	X
Divorces	X

 

3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
Population	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.
Live births	Equal to European concepts and definitions. Asylum seekers excluded.
Deaths	Equal to European concepts and definitions. Asylum seekers excluded.
Immigrants	Asylum seekers excluded. Durational element is not taken in consideration (neither factual, nor intentional).
Emigrants	Asylum seekers excluded. Durational element is not taken in consideration (neither factual, nor intentional).
Acquisitions of citizenship	Equal to European concepts and definitions.
Loss of citizenship	Equal to European concepts and definitions.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.
Divorces	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.

 

3.4.3 Differences in statistical concepts and definitions between the statistics transmitted to Eurostat and those disseminated in the National Statistics Institute's website
Population	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Live births	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Deaths	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Immigrants	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Emigrants	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Registerd population.
Loss of citizenship	Not available.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Divorces	Registerd population + asylum seekers.

3.5. Statistical unit

Individual level data.

3.6. Statistical population

	Statistical population
Population	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Live births	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Deaths	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Immigrants	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Emigrants	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Legal population.
Loss of citizenship	Legal population.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Divorces	Legal population + asylum seekers.

3.7. Reference area

Data on population, migrations, live births, deaths, marriages and divorces are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.

3.8. Coverage - Time

The population register is continuously updated – Statistics Belgium receives weekly updates.

3.9. Base period

Not applicable.

Data is collected at unit (person) level.

The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).
The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.

6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Law of 4 July 1962 on official statistics (ammended by the Act of 1 August 1985 on tax and other measures, the Act of 21 December 1994 on social and other provisions, the Law of 2 January 2001 on social provisions, Budget and miscellaneous and by the program law of 22 December 2008).

6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing

Not available.

7.1. Confidentiality - policy

Law of 4 July 1962 on official statistics (amended by the Act of 1 August 1985 on tax and other measures, the Act of 21 December 1994 on social and other provisions, the Law of 2 January 2001 on social provisions, Budget and miscellaneous and by the program law of 22 December 2008).

7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

In accordance with the law of 4 July 1962 on official statistics.

8.1. Release calendar

Data is made available on a national level at time T + 6 months.

8.2. Release calendar access

Not available.

8.3. Release policy - user access

Access to coded individual level data on demand via the Belgian Data Protection Autority.  

Annual.

10.1. Dissemination format - News release

Annual press release.

10.2. Dissemination format - Publications

No paper publications are distributed.

10.3. Dissemination format - online database

Dissemination of OLAP cubes via website.

10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

See 8.3.

10.5. Dissemination format - other

Not available.

10.6. Documentation on methodology

	Documentation on methodology
Population	Documentation on methodology: Structure of Population
Live births	Documentation on methodology: live births and fertility (in French)
Deaths	Mortality
Immigrants	Migrations
Emigrants	Migrations
Acquisitions of citizenship	Changes-nationality
Loss of citizenship	Changes-nationality
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Feto infant mortality
Marriages	Marriages
Divorces	Divorces
Surface in km2	Not available.

 

See Statbel FGOV in general.

10.7. Quality management - documentation

Not available.

11.1. Quality assurance

	Quality assurance
Citizenship	Not available.
Country of birth	Not available. (The country (in its current borders, if the information is available) in which the birth took place.); except for live births: the country of residence of the mother at the time of birth.)
Country of birth of the mother	Not available. (The country (in its current borders, if the information is available) in which the birth took place.)
Country of previous usual residence	Not available.
Country of next usual residence	Not available.
Deaths	Not available.
Divorce	Not available.
Emigrants	Not available.
First-time marrying person	Not available.
First-time registering partner	Not available.
Foetal death	Not available.
Foreign-born	Not available.
Immigrants	Not available.
Infant death	Not available.
Late foetal death	Not available.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Level of development	Not available.
Live birth	Not available.
Live birth order	Not available.
Marriage	Not available.
Native born	Not available.
Person contracting legal union for first-time	Not available.
Regional	Not available.
Registered partnership	Not available.
Registered partnership legally dissolved	Not available.
Separation	Not available.

Validation procedure at Statistics Belgium – peer validation by power users.

11.2. Quality management - assessment

11.2.1. Quality assessment: Type of duration of stay used when counting a person as a migrant according to Article 2(b) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007
		1. Actual duration of stay of at least 12 months	2. Intended duration of stay of at least 12 months	3. Actual and intended duration of stay of at least 12 months	4. Other. Please specify
Nationals	Immigrants	X
	Emigrants	X
EEA citizens	Immigrants	X
	Emigrants	X
Non EEA citizens	Immigrants	X
	Emigrants	X

 

11.2.2. Quality assessment of the definition of acquisitions of citizenship according to Art. 3(d) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007
	1. Acquisitions of citizenship granted to persons having their usual residence in the territory of the Member State	2.Other. Please specify
Acquisitions of citizenship	X

12.1. Relevance - User Needs

Eurostat is the main user for European concepts and definitions.

12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

Not available.

12.3. Completeness

Not available.

13.1. Accuracy - overall

	Overall accuracy and special cases (Inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister,...)
Population	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Live births	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Deaths	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Immigrants	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Emigrants	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Acquisitions of citizenship	Very good.
Loss of citizenship	Very good.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Very good.
Divorces	Very good.

The Belgian population register is of good quality. Certain (relative “not available” is small) subpopulation (e.g. illegals) might be absent in the population figure and the figures for the other events.

"Unknowns" in breakdowns occur when the information is not available in the Belgian National Register.

13.2. Sampling error

	Sampling error
Population	Not applicable.
Live births	Not applicable.
Deaths	Not applicable.
Immigrants	Not applicable.
Emigrants	Not applicable.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Not applicable.
Loss of citizenship	Not applicable.
Legally induced abortions	Not applicable.
Late foetal deaths	Not applicable.
Infant deaths	Not applicable.
Marriages	Not applicable.
Divorces	Not applicable.

13.3. Non-sampling error

	Non-sampling error (coverage error, measurement error, non-response error, processing error, model assumption error)
Population	See 14.1.
Live births	Not applicable.
Deaths	Not applicable.
Immigrants	Not applicable.
Emigrants	Not applicable.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Not applicable.
Loss of citizenship	Not applicable.
Legally induced abortions	Not applicable.
Late foetal deaths	Not applicable.
Infant deaths	Not applicable.
Marriages	Not applicable.
Divorces	Not applicable.

14.1. Timeliness

According to Article 4(2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3(2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.

14.2. Punctuality

Not available.

15.1. Comparability - geographical

Not available.

15.2. Comparability - over time

	Comparability - over time
Population	Break in series 2010.
Live births	Break in series 2010.
Deaths	Break in series 2010.
Immigrants	Break in series 2010.
Emigrants	Break in series 2010.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Break in series 2010.
Loss of citizenship	Break in series 2010.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Break in series 2014.
Divorces	Break in series 2014.
Surface in km2	Not available.

15.3. Coherence - cross domain

The total (usual residence) registered population  transmitted by the national statistical offices to Eurostat may differ from those available in National Accounts, Labour Force Survey or in the survey on Income and Living Conditions. The difference is given by the population coverage (see metadata specific to each domain). Also statistics on migration differ from those nationally published, due to conceptual differences in the definitions in place (e.g. in National Statistics asylum seekers are not taken in consideration).   

Residence Permits Statistics and International Migration Statistics are not comparable. Persons who are subject of pending applications for international protection are not covered by Residence Permit Statistics. Refugees and persons benefiting from subsidiary protection are covered from the date of issuance of the residence permit.

15.4. Coherence - internal

Not available.

Relatively limited costs – collection on basis of administrative aim. No respondent burden.

17.1. Data revision - policy

Not applicable.

17.2. Data revision - practice

Not applicable.

18.1. Source data

	List of data sources
Population	Belgian population register.
Live births	Belgian population register.
Deaths	Belgian population register.
Immigrants	Belgian population register.
Emigrants	Belgian population register.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Belgian population register.
Loss of citizenship	Belgian population register.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Belgian population register.
Divorces	Belgian population register.
Surface in km2	Not available.

18.2. Frequency of data collection

Continuously – Statistics Belgium receives weekly updates.

18.3. Data collection

Data collection is done by Belgian municipalities. Harmonisation is done by the Belgian Population Register: IBZ.

18.4. Data validation

See this website IBZ.

18.5. Data compilation

See this website IBZ.

18.6. Adjustment

Not available.

Not available.

Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.

This Euro SDMX Metadata Structure is used for the purpose of quality reporting. The definition of the quality concepts and guidelines are described in the European Statistical System Handbook for Quality Reports..

Immigrations and emigrations, changes in citizenship, births and deaths, population based on the Belgian Population Register

5 February 2025

3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
	1.Usually Resident Population	2. Legal Residence Population	3. Registered Residence Population	4. Other
Population	X
Live births	X
Deaths	X
Immigrants	X
Emigrants	X
Acquisitions of citizenship	X
Loss of citizenship	X
Legally induced abortions
Late foetal deaths
Infant deaths
Marriages	X
Divorces	X

 

3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
Population	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.
Live births	Equal to European concepts and definitions. Asylum seekers excluded.
Deaths	Equal to European concepts and definitions. Asylum seekers excluded.
Immigrants	Asylum seekers excluded. Durational element is not taken in consideration (neither factual, nor intentional).
Emigrants	Asylum seekers excluded. Durational element is not taken in consideration (neither factual, nor intentional).
Acquisitions of citizenship	Equal to European concepts and definitions.
Loss of citizenship	Equal to European concepts and definitions.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.
Divorces	Registered population. Asylum seekers excluded.

 

3.4.3 Differences in statistical concepts and definitions between the statistics transmitted to Eurostat and those disseminated in the National Statistics Institute's website
Population	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Live births	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Deaths	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Immigrants	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Emigrants	Registerd population + asylum seekers + factual (observed) duration of stay is taken in consideration.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Registerd population.
Loss of citizenship	Not available.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Registerd population + asylum seekers.
Divorces	Registerd population + asylum seekers.

Individual level data.

	Statistical population
Population	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Live births	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Deaths	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Immigrants	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Emigrants	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Legal population.
Loss of citizenship	Legal population.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Legal population + asylum seekers.
Divorces	Legal population + asylum seekers.

Data on population, migrations, live births, deaths, marriages and divorces are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.

The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).
The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.

	Overall accuracy and special cases (Inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister,...)
Population	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Live births	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Deaths	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Immigrants	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Emigrants	Very good. (Asylum seekers and refugees are included. Refugees from Ukraine who benefit from temporary protection are included conform the Eurostat guidelines. Unknowns in the breakdowns occur when the neede information is not available in the Belgian Central Population Register.)
Acquisitions of citizenship	Very good.
Loss of citizenship	Very good.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Very good.
Divorces	Very good.

The Belgian population register is of good quality. Certain (relative “not available” is small) subpopulation (e.g. illegals) might be absent in the population figure and the figures for the other events.

"Unknowns" in breakdowns occur when the information is not available in the Belgian National Register.

Data is collected at unit (person) level.

See this website IBZ.

	List of data sources
Population	Belgian population register.
Live births	Belgian population register.
Deaths	Belgian population register.
Immigrants	Belgian population register.
Emigrants	Belgian population register.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Belgian population register.
Loss of citizenship	Belgian population register.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Belgian population register.
Divorces	Belgian population register.
Surface in km2	Not available.

Annual.

According to Article 4(2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3(2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.

Not available.

	Comparability - over time
Population	Break in series 2010.
Live births	Break in series 2010.
Deaths	Break in series 2010.
Immigrants	Break in series 2010.
Emigrants	Break in series 2010.
Acquisitions of citizenship	Break in series 2010.
Loss of citizenship	Break in series 2010.
Legally induced abortions	Not available.
Late foetal deaths	Not available.
Infant deaths	Not available.
Marriages	Break in series 2014.
Divorces	Break in series 2014.
Surface in km2	Not available.