Forcibly displaced people in Belgium

Belgium: Forcibly displaced people was 245,118 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
245,118
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
58th
of 180 countries
All-time high
245,118
in 2025
All-time low
36,179
in 2010
Years of data
16
2010–2025

Forcibly displaced people in Belgium, 2010–2025

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k2010201720252010: 36.2k2011: 41.4k2012: 37.0k2013: 37.1k2014: 39.1k2015: 71.3k2016: 66.3k2017: 60.9k2018: 61.7k2019: 72.5k2020: 94.3k2021: 103.0k2022: 192.5k2023: 212.4k2024: 236.7k2025: 245.1k

Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Analysis

In 2025, forcibly displaced people in Belgium stood at 245,118. That is the highest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 243.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, forcibly displaced people in Belgium peaked at 245,118 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 36,179, in 2010.

That places Belgium 58th out of 180 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 52,354 36,179 72,524 10
2020s 180,676 94,278 245,118 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 55 Mauritania 308,868 compare
  2. 56 Austria 308,665 compare
  3. 57 Serbia 250,997 compare
  4. 59 Costa Rica 233,727 compare
  5. 60 Switzerland 225,326 compare
  6. 61 Tanzania 214,404 compare

See the full ranking of 227 places →

More social development data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is forcibly displaced people in Belgium?
Forcibly displaced people in Belgium was 245,118 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
What is the highest forcibly displaced people recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 245,118 in 2025.
What is the lowest forcibly displaced people recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 36,179 in 2010.
How does Belgium rank for forcibly displaced people?
Belgium ranks 58th out of 180 countries with data for 2025.
Is forcibly displaced people rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 243.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Forcibly displaced people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Forcibly displaced people
Source
Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
227 places, 3,518 data points, 2010–2025
Last refreshed

Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.