Comparisons · Europe
Belgium in Europe
Belgium compared with France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and the European Union average, where one exists. The figures come from Eurostat and the OECD, with their update date and flags (estimated, provisional, break in series). No score, no ranking.
Crime: Belgium and its neighbours
Read this first. Eurostat says so itself: laws, the way complaints are recorded and people’s readiness to report differ from one country to another. It is better to compare trends than levels. These are not rankings.
Homicide: Eurostat only counts completed acts. Attempts are not included, whereas the Belgian police figures (BIPOL) shown elsewhere on this site count completed acts and attempts together. The two figures cannot be compared.
Intentional homicide (ICCS0101)
| Country | 2014 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 1.88 | 1.40 | -25.5% |
| France | 1.16 | 1.28 | +10.3% |
| Netherlands | 0.86 | 0.67 | -22.1% |
| Germany | 0.80 | 0.83 | +3.7% |
| Luxembourg | 0.73 | 0.30 | -58.9% |
Offences recorded by the police per 100,000 inhabitants. Fixed order of countries, no ranking.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1.40 | 1.28 | 0.67 | 0.83 | 0.30 |
| 2023 | 1.41 | 1.30 | 0.70 | 0.80 | 0.61 |
| 2022 | 1.62 | 1.21 | 0.81 | 0.74 | 1.39 |
| 2021 | 1.37 | 1.08 | 0.72 | 0.76 | 0.47 |
| 2020 | 1.29 | 1.03 | 0.70 | 0.86 | 0.32 |
| 2019 | 1.28 | 1.12 | 0.72 | 0.71 | 0.65 |
| 2018 | 1.68 | 1.04 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 0.50 |
| 2017 | 1.74 | 1.06 | 0.92 | 0.89 | 0.34 |
| 2016 | 1.55 | 1.17 | 0.64 | 0.91 | 0.87 |
| 2015 | 2.06 | 1.32 | 0.71 | 0.81 | 0.89 |
| 2014 | 1.88 | 1.16 | 0.86 | 0.80 | 0.73 |
| 2013 | 1.83 | 1.22 | 0.88 | 0.77 | 0.37 |
| 2012 | 1.86 | 1.25 | - | 0.77 | 0.57 |
| 2011 | 1.95 | 1.35 | - | 0.86 | 0.78 |
| 2010 | 1.74 | 1.23 | - | 0.85 | 1.59 |
| 2009 | 1.76 | 1.25 | 0.93 | 0.88 | 1.01 |
| 2008 | 1.91 | 1.52 | 0.91 | 0.80 | 1.45 |
Robbery (ICCS0401)
| Country | 2014 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 196.12 | 116.33 | -40.7% |
| France | 173.02 | 82.81 | -52.1% |
| Netherlands | 62.09 | 35.25 | -43.2% |
| Germany | 56.30 | 51.76 | -8.1% |
| Luxembourglatest year published: 2023 | 111.88 | - | - |
Offences recorded by the police per 100,000 inhabitants. Fixed order of countries, no ranking.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 116.33 | 82.81 | 35.25 | 51.76 | - |
| 2023 | 122.39 | 92.17 | 33.77 | 53.97 | 86.71 |
| 2022 | 115.63 | 100.19 | 33.94 | 45.89 | 101.02 |
| 2021 | 100.73 | 104.21 | 31.76 | 36.23 | 93.74 |
| 2020 | 103.51 | 110.20 | 41.96 | 40.73 | 75.39 |
| 2019 | 142.26 | 133.92 | 49.70 | 43.43 | 74.44 |
| 2018 | 144.61 | 137.99 | 45.31 | 44.40 | 74.58 |
| 2017 | 155.44 | 149.40 | 46.69 | 47.08 | 76.86 |
| 2016 | 165.13 | 158.52 | 52.89 | 52.34 | 79.65 |
| 2015 | 180.45 | 156.59 | 57.57 | 55.01 | 98.41 |
| 2014 | 196.12 | 173.02 | 62.09 | 56.30 | 111.88 |
| 2013 | 204.98 | 190.02 | 79.53 | 58.66 | 108.37 |
| 2012 | 230.81 | 189.67 | 89.30 | 60.64 | 100.41 |
| 2011 | 248.54 | 186.16 | 93.57 | 59.86 | 77.76 |
| 2010 | 220.08 | 187.19 | 98.28 | 58.88 | 75.09 |
| 2009 | 219.30 | 175.24 | 98.66 | 60.14 | 84.70 |
| 2008 | 214.47 | 166.60 | 80.31 | 60.71 | 67.38 |
Burglary (ICCS0501)
| Country | 2014 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 862.36 | 407.10 | -52.8% |
| France | 574.98 | 443.98 | -22.8% |
| Netherlands | 614.20 | 184.22 | -70.0% |
| Germany | 552.29 | 357.06 | -35.3% |
| Luxembourg | 794.64 | 567.96 | -28.5% |
Offences recorded by the police per 100,000 inhabitants. Fixed order of countries, no ranking.
Break in series, Netherlands, between 2009 and 2010 : The figure sent to Eurostat drops sharply, while the official CBS figures (thefts and burglaries recorded by the police) stay stable. This is our own cross-check, not a Eurostat flag. The two points are therefore not joined; the values are unchanged. Source : CBS StatLine 80603ned.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 407.10 | 443.98 | 184.22 | 357.06 | 567.96 |
| 2023 | 430.16 | 454.44 | 198.02 | 357.84 | 601.23 |
| 2022 | 448.78 | 436.44 | 212.81 | 313.09 | 633.72 |
| 2021 | 398.15 | 398.23 | 212.87 | 292.43 | 489.34 |
| 2020 | 413.58 | 415.09 | 286.34 | 358.75 | 476.60 |
| 2019 | 576.53 | 497.96 | 341.10 | 374.89 | 575.18 |
| 2018 | 624.43 | 506.27 | 367.26 | 394.25 | 609.13 |
| 2017 | 662.02 | 547.42 | 437.29 | 442.53 | 342.66 |
| 2016 | 698.01 | 549.95 | 498.29 | 526.59 | 328.33 |
| 2015 | 816.58 | 570.41 | 571.51 | 571.36 | 374.98 |
| 2014 | 862.36 | 574.98 | 614.20 | 552.29 | 794.64 |
| 2013 | 895.33 | 587.67 | 717.96 | 543.34 | 632.91 |
| 2012 | 923.41 | 558.33 | 723.57 | 535.57 | 602.64 |
| 2011 | 887.40 | 531.71 | 747.31 | 525.10 | 699.24 |
| 2010 | 843.13 | 506.24 | 744.22 | 485.73 | 480.61 |
| 2009 | 903.19 | 497.93 | 1,721.39 | 471.51 | 597.97 |
| 2008 | 875.26 | 480.80 | 1,753.36 | 474.80 | 576.48 |
Eurostat flags : none on these values. A dash means: value not published.
Method : rates published by Eurostat, taken as is. The change compares the latest year published for Belgium with the year 10 years earlier. No EU average: Eurostat does not publish one for these offences.
Source : Eurostat (crim_off_cat, updated 29 April 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026).
In the section: Methodology (Eurostat and BIPOL)
Asylum: European comparison
First-time asylum applications relative to population, and share of positive first-instance decisions, according to Eurostat. All countries follow the same counting rules, set by an EU regulation.
| Country | First applications 2025 | Per 1,000 inhabitants | Positive decisions 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 27,540 | 2.32 | 29.7%of 29,860 decisions |
| France | 116,475 | 1.69p | 40.0%of 151,125 decisions |
| Netherlands | 24,115 | 1.34 | 47.7%of 15,540 decisions |
| Germany | 113,235 | 1.35 | 32.0%of 272,800 decisions |
| Luxembourg | 1,770 | 2.60 | 51.2%of 1,200 decisions |
| EU27 average | 672,350 | 1.49ep | 39.1%of 833,650 decisions |
Eurostat flags : e = estimated ; p = provisional A dash means: value not published.
Not to be confused with the CGRS protection rate. The “share of positive decisions” is calculated here from Eurostat tables: positive first-instance decisions (refugee status, subsidiary protection and, depending on the country, national humanitarian status) divided by all first-instance decisions, per person. The CGRS protection rate, shown on the Asylum page, is published by the CGRS using its own method. The two figures are not interchangeable.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg | EU27 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.32 | 1.69p | 1.34 | 1.35 | 2.60 | 1.49ep |
| 2024 | 2.77 | 1.89p | 1.78 | 2.75 | 3.16 | 2.03ep |
| 2023 | 2.50 | 2.13p | 2.15 | 3.96b | 3.96 | 2.35bep |
| 2022 | 2.77 | 2.02 | 2.02 | 2.62 | 3.73 | 1.96ep |
| 2021 | 1.70 | 1.53 | 1.42 | 1.78 | 2.16 | 1.20bep |
| 2020 | 1.12 | 1.21 | 0.79 | 1.23 | 2.07 | 0.93e |
| 2019 | 2.02 | 2.06 | 1.30 | 1.72 | 3.58 | 1.41 |
| 2018 | 1.59 | 1.89p | 1.19 | 1.96 | 3.70 | 1.27e |
| 2017 | 1.24 | 1.38 | 0.94 | 2.40 | 3.94b | 1.40be |
| 2016 | 1.26 | 1.15 | 1.14 | 8.79 | 3.58 | 2.63e |
| 2015 | 3.48 | 1.06 | 2.55 | 5.44 | 4.19 | 2.75be |
| 2014 | 1.26 | 0.89b | 1.29 | 2.14 | 1.87 | 1.20be |
| 2013 | 1.08 | 0.92 | 0.58 | 1.36 | 1.84 | - |
| 2012 | 1.67b | 0.83b | 0.58 | 0.80 | 3.81b | - |
| 2011 | 2.33b | 0.80 | 0.69 | 0.57b | 3.75 | - |
| 2010 | 2.01 | 0.74 | 0.80 | 0.51 | - | - |
| 2009 | 1.60 | 0.65 | 0.90 | 0.34 | - | - |
| 2008 | 1.07 | - | 0.82 | 0.26 | - | - |
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg | EU27 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29.7% | 40.0% | 47.7% | 32.0% | 51.2% | 39.1% |
| 2024 | 48.7% | 37.8% | 75.3% | 53.4% | 63.8% | 51.4% |
| 2023 | 44.6% | 31.4% | 80.8% | 62.2% | 67.9% | 52.9% |
| 2022 | 45.4% | 27.5% | 87.2% | 65.0% | 79.4% | 48.8% |
| 2021 | 43.6% | 24.7% | 73.0% | 45.1% | 69.9% | 38.2% |
| 2020 | 34.9% | 22.2% | 63.3% | 48.6% | 64.4% | 40.3% |
| 2019 | 38.0% | 24.7% | 37.3% | 45.6% | 56.8% | 37.8% |
| 2018 | 50.8% | 28.4% | 35.2% | 42.4% | 71.6% | 37.3% |
| 2017 | 52.3% | 29.4% | 49.0% | 49.9% | 65.4% | 45.9% |
| 2016 | 60.2% | 32.9% | 72.1% | 68.7% | 61.0% | 61.6% |
| 2015 | 53.8% | 26.5% | 80.4% | 56.5% | 23.9% | 52.6% |
| 2014 | 39.5% | 21.6% | 66.7% | 41.6% | 13.6% | 46.1% |
| 2013 | 29.2% | 17.3% | 48.9% | 26.4% | 10.4% | 33.9% |
| 2012 | 22.5% | 14.4% | 40.3% | 29.2% | 2.4% | 31.9% |
| 2011 | 25.3% | 10.9% | 43.3% | 24.0% | 3.4% | - |
| 2010 | 21.1% | 13.5% | 45.5% | 23.0% | 14.7% | - |
| 2009 | 19.0% | 14.3% | 46.9% | 36.4% | 23.4% | - |
| 2008 | 25.7% | 16.2% | 51.9% | 40.7% | 14.3% | - |
Method : first-time applications in the year divided by the population on 1 January of the same year (Eurostat), multiplied by 1,000. Eurostat rounds application and decision counts to 5. A calculated rate keeps the flags of both terms.
Source : Eurostat (demo_pjan, updated 25 September 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026) ; Eurostat (migr_asyappctza, updated 3 September 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026) ; Eurostat (migr_asydcfsta, updated 24 August 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026).
In the section: Asylum
Foreign population: European comparison
Two different measures.
- Foreign citizenship: people who do not hold the citizenship of the country where they live (stateless people included). A naturalised person is no longer counted.
- Born abroad: people born outside the country where they live, whatever their current citizenship.
- EU / non-EU: citizenship of another EU27 country, or of a country outside the EU27. For the EU27 average, “EU” means citizens of one EU country living in another EU country.
| 1 January 2025 | Foreign citizens | of which EU | of which non-EU | Born abroad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 14.0% | 8.5% | 5.6% | 20.2% |
| France | 9.4%p | 2.4%p | 7.0%p | 14.0%p |
| Netherlands | 8.9% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 16.8% |
| Germany | 14.8% | 5.2% | 9.6% | 20.5%e |
| Luxembourg | 47.0% | 35.8% | 11.2% | 51.5% |
| EU27 average | - | 3.1%eip | 6.8%eip | 14.4%eip |
EU27 average, all foreign citizens on 1 January 2025: not published by Eurostat.
Share of the country’s total population. “Foreign citizens”: people with a foreign citizenship.
Eurostat flags : e = estimated ; i = value imputed by Eurostat ; p = provisional A dash means: value not published.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg | EU27 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14.0% | 9.4%p | 8.9% | 14.8% | 47.0% | - |
| 2024 | 13.8% | 8.8%p | 8.5% | 14.5% | 47.2% | 9.6%ep |
| 2023 | 13.5% | 8.2%p | 8.0% | 13.8%b | 47.4% | 9.1%bep |
| 2022 | 12.8% | 8.0% | 7.0% | 13.1% | 47.1% | 8.4%ep |
| 2021 | 12.6% | 7.8% | 6.7% | 12.7% | 47.1% | 8.3%bep |
| 2020 | 12.5% | 7.7% | 6.6% | 12.5% | 47.3% | 8.1%e |
| 2019 | 12.2% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 12.2% | 47.4% | 7.8% |
| 2018 | 12.0% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 11.7% | 47.8% | 7.5%e |
| 2017 | 11.9% | 6.9% | 5.4% | 11.2% | 47.6%b | 7.3%be |
| 2016 | 11.7% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 10.5% | 46.7% | 7.0%e |
| 2015 | 11.3% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 9.3% | 45.9% | 6.7%be |
| 2014 | 11.1% | 6.4%b | 4.4% | 8.7% | 45.3% | 6.5%be |
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg | EU27 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.2% | 14.0%p | 16.8% | 20.5%e | 51.5% | 14.4%eip |
| 2024 | 19.7% | 13.6%p | 16.2% | 20.2%e | 51.0% | 13.9%ep |
| 2023 | 19.1% | 13.1%p | 15.6% | 19.7%be | 50.4% | 13.4%bep |
| 2022 | 18.2% | 12.7% | 14.5% | 18.4%e | 49.4% | 12.6%ep |
| 2021 | 17.9% | 12.6% | 14.0% | 18.2% | 48.7% | 12.5%bep |
| 2020 | 17.6% | 12.6% | 13.8% | 18.1% | 48.2% | 12.3%e |
| 2019 | 17.2% | 12.4% | 13.3% | 17.9% | 47.3% | 11.9% |
| 2018 | 16.8% | 12.2% | 12.9% | 16.6% | 46.5% | 11.4%e |
| 2017 | 16.5% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 14.7% | 45.7%b | 10.8%be |
| 2016 | 16.3% | 12.0% | 12.1% | 13.3% | 45.2% | 10.3%e |
| 2015 | 15.9% | 11.9% | 11.8% | 12.6%e | 44.2% | 10.0%be |
| 2014 | 15.6% | 11.7%b | 11.6% | 12.1%e | 43.3% | - |
Method : number of people in each group divided by the total population from the same Eurostat table, on 1 January. Eurostat’s Belgian figures come from Statbel; they may differ slightly from those on the Foreign population page (extraction date, definitions). When Eurostat does not publish a value (for example the EU27 average for the latest year), the cell stays empty.
Source : Eurostat (migr_pop1ctz, updated 25 September 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026) ; Eurostat (migr_pop3ctb, updated 25 September 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026).
In the section: Foreign population
House prices: European comparison
This is an index, not a price in euros. Each country equals 100 in 2015. A higher index means prices have risen more since 2015, not that housing is more expensive there. No official European source publishes an average price in euros that is comparable across countries, so the site’s euro prices (Statbel) cannot be compared with these indices.
| Q2 2026 | Change over one year | Index (2015 = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | +2.1%p | 146.0p |
| France | -0.8%p | 125.5p |
| Netherlands | +4.3%p | 222.6p |
| Germany | +0.6%p | 153.5p |
| Luxembourg | -2.2%p | 166.4p |
| EU27 average | +4.7% | 168.6 |
Change over one year: prices in the quarter compared with the same quarter a year earlier, as published by Eurostat.
Eurostat flags : p = provisional A dash means: value not published.
The vertical axis does not start at 0.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg | EU27 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 144.9 | 127.3 | 215.2 | 152.7 | 165.1 | 161.9 |
| 2024 | 140.4 | 126.4 | 198.2 | 148.0 | 162.5 | 153.4 |
| 2023 | 136.1 | 131.3 | 183.3 | 150.3 | 171.5 | 148.4 |
| 2022 | 132.9 | 131.8 | 186.8 | 164.1 | 188.5 | 148.9 |
| 2021 | 126.0 | 124.1 | 164.9 | 154.7 | 172.1 | 137.9 |
| 2020 | 118.1 | 116.6 | 144.1 | 138.7 | 151.0 | 127.2 |
| 2019 | 113.2 | 110.9 | 133.4 | 128.7 | 131.9 | 120.4 |
| 2018 | 109.2 | 107.3 | 124.4 | 121.7 | 120.4 | 114.8 |
| 2017 | 106.0 | 104.2 | 113.8 | 114.1 | 112.1 | 109.3 |
| 2016 | 102.3 | 101.0 | 105.3 | 107.5 | 106.1 | 104.3 |
| 2015 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2014 | 98.2 | 101.4 | 96.6 | 95.5 | 94.9 | 97.8 |
| 2013 | 98.6 | 102.9 | 95.8 | 92.6 | 90.9 | 97.1 |
| 2012 | 97.1 | 104.9 | 102.0 | 89.8 | 86.6 | 98.8 |
| 2011 | 94.9 | 105.5 | 109.3 | 86.8 | 83.1 | 100.9 |
| 2010 | 91.6 | 99.7 | 111.5 | 83.9 | 80.2 | 100.3 |
Source : Eurostat (prc_hpi_a, updated 1 October 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026) ; Eurostat (prc_hpi_q, updated 1 October 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026).
In addition: prices compared with income (OECD)
The OECD divides the house price index by disposable income per head, 100 in 2015. Above 100, prices have risen faster than income since 2015; below, more slowly. This too is a trend, not a level. No EU average in this table.
The vertical axis does not start at 0.
Show all values
| Period | Belgium | France | Netherlands | Germany | Luxembourg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96.3 | 94.1 | 135.3 | 105.4 | 114.4 |
| 2024 | 96.9 | 93.6 | 130.5 | 105.0 | 122.8 |
| 2023 | 95.9 | 102.2 | 126.0 | 111.5 | 133.1 |
| 2022 | 101.5 | 111.2 | 138.6 | 128.6 | 154.5 |
| 2021 | 104.7 | 109.5 | 131.1 | 130.9 | 146.0 |
| 2020 | 102.9 | 107.1 | 120.8 | 121.4 | 128.3 |
| 2019 | 100.1 | 101.8 | 115.9 | 113.3 | 118.8 |
| 2018 | 100.2 | 101.3 | 112.8 | 109.9 | 112.3 |
| 2017 | 100.1 | 100.6 | 108.1 | 107.4 | 107.1 |
| 2016 | 99.8 | 99.6 | 102.1 | 104.7 | 106.1 |
| 2015 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2014 | 98.8 | 102.7 | 99.1 | 97.8 | 94.6 |
| 2013 | 100.0 | 105.5 | 100.9 | 97.2 | 91.5 |
| 2012 | 99.0 | 106.9 | 107.7 | 95.4 | 90.2 |
| 2011 | 98.7 | 108.1 | 115.4 | 94.2 | 88.9 |
| 2010 | 97.0 | 103.7 | 120.1 | 93.8 | 87.9 |
Source : OCDE, Analytical house prices indicators (oecd_house_prices, updated 9 September 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026) The update date (9 September 2026) is taken from the OECD website, because the OECD data service does not provide it..
In the section: Municipalities table (Statbel prices)
First names: no comparison
There is no European statistic on first names. Eurostat, the OECD and other international bodies do not publish one. Each country has its own source with its own rules (thresholds, spellings grouped or not, years covered), and Germany publishes no official national statistic on first names. A comparison would therefore not be reliable.
First names in Belgium: First names section (Statbel)