The birth rate is declining throughout Belgium, but the decline is most pronounced in Brussels. According to demographer Patrick Deboosere, this is primarily due to changes in the composition

of the Brussels population.

Year after year, the number of births in Brussels is decreasing. Last year, 14,622 children were born in Brussels, compared to 17,377 in 2018. This represents a decrease of almost 16 percent over a four-year period. In Flanders, the decline during the same period is approximately 1.5 percent, and in Wallonia, it is 0.8 percent.

According to demographer Patrick Deboosere (VUB), there are several hypotheses to explain this significant decline. "The number of births is decreasing throughout Belgium. Brussels is following the same trend as Wallonia and Flanders, but it started from a higher level."

For a long time, women in Brussels had relatively more children than in Flanders and Wallonia, but that is now changing. The reasons for this shift need to be investigated, but according to Deboosere, it is likely related to the changing composition of young women in Brussels.

"Young people are studying longer today, starting stable relationships and having children later. The desire to have children is therefore postponed or sometimes even abandoned," says Deboosere. "In addition, almost all young women are building their own careers, and combining work and children is not always easy."

There are also cyclical trends, explained Deboosere. "Think of the COVID crisis, as well as the housing crisis. These factors can contribute to the postponement or abandonment of the desire to have children. It can also be a reason to move to a more affordable and suitable home outside the region when planning to have children. The availability of childcare can also play a role. The extent to which these factors apply in Brussels should be investigated." Photo by Andrés Nieto Porras from Palma de Mallorca, España, Wikimedia commons.