Just over 118,100 births were registered last year. That is about 4,400 births more than in 2020, a year marked by a very low birth rate. The number of registered births in 2021 is in line with the average number of births in the period 2017-2019. This is apparent from the provisional birth figures of the Belgian statistical office Statbel.
In the Flemish Region about 65,800 births were recorded. That is about 3,000 more than in 2020 and about 1,700 more than the average number of births in 2017-2019. In Flanders, therefore, the birth rate does not only seem to be recovering, but even to compensate for the low number of births in 2020.
In Wallonia Just over 36,700 births were registered in 2021. That is about 1,600 more than in 2020, but according to Statbel, the figure is in line with the average birth rate in the period 2017-2019. In the Walloon Region, therefore, there appears to be a recovery in the birth rate.
In the Brussels-Capital Region just under 15,600 births were recorded. Brussels is thus the only region where the number of births is falling, in particular by about 300 compared to 2020. In Brussels, the number of births does not appear to be recovering in 2021, but to fall further.
In this study, Stabel compared the birth rate for 2021 with the average birth rate for the period 2017-2019. No account was taken of the evolution of the number of women of childbearing age, nor of the population structure. Further scientific research should show what the impact of this is on the birth rate. A more detailed analysis is possible when the definitive birth rates are calculated. They will be published in June.
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