Belgium: Facts & Stats

Demographics

Population:

Population: 10,665,867 inhabitants (2008)
Density: 344.32 inhabitants per sq. km

The five largest cities are:

1. Brussels 1,019,022
2. Antwerp 459,805
3. Ghent 231,493
4. Charleroi 200,132
5. Liège 182,597

Welfare:

A great improvement in health conditions after World War II was due as much to the programs of social insurance, covering nearly the entire population, as to advances in medical science. In addition to the many hospitals, hundreds of centers offer specialized help in medical, psychological, and geriatric areas as well as in physical rehabilitation.

Under a 1925 statute, each commune has a commission of public assistance that is represented on the communal council and provides aid to the indigent. Belgium’s welfare system, though comprehensive, has placed great strain on the national budget.

Education:

Education enjoys high priority, and the largest share of the regional governments’ annual budget in Belgium. Complete systems of public and private schools are available to all children between the ages of 4 and 18, at little or no cost. A "Crêche/Kinderdagverblijfplaats" is available for younger children.

Belgium is proud of the high standards of its educational systems. The French and Flemish Communities provide nursery schools, primary schools, middle or secondary schools, and technical schools; and universities or other educational institutions at university level are readily accessible.

A complete system of private schools "écoles libres/vrije scholen" parallels the official systems in both countries. The majority of "écoles libres/vrije scholen" are Catholic schools. Rivalry between the two systems is keen in Belgium, and the question of the sharing of subsidies has often been a political issue.

Religion:

Religious liberty is guaranteed by the constitution, and no inquiries regarding religion are made by census takers. According to a 2002 report, however, about 75% of the population is Roman Catholic, and 25% are Protestant or other.

The Muslim population numbers about 350,000, 90% of whom are Sunni. Protestants number between 90,000 and 100,000. Greek and Russian Orthodox adherents number about 100,000. The Jewish community is approximately 40,000, and Anglicans number approximately 21,000.

The largest unrecognized religions include the Jehovah's Witnesses, with 27,000 members and Mormons, with about 3,000 members. About 350,000 people belong to "laics," the government's term for no confessional philosophical organizations. Unofficial estimates report that up to 10% of the population does not practice any religion at all.

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