Languages spoken in Belgium
Europe · Capital: Brussels · Population 12 million
In Belgium, three languages have official status: Dutch, French, and German. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 59% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 7.1 million people. English itself holds no official status in Belgium, despite being the most widely spoken. After English, the most widely spoken are Dutch at 55% and French at 38%. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. English is also spoken in all four of its neighbours. In total, five languages are recorded in Belgium, and their shares add up to 184% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Belgium?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 59% | Spoken | 7.1 million |
| DutchIndo-European | 55% | Official | 6.6 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 38% | Official | 4.6 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 22% | Official | 2.6 million |
| West Flemish | 10% | Spoken | 1.2 million |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Belgium?
In Belgium, three languages have official status: Dutch, French, and German. Dutch is spoken by an estimated 55% of the population, or roughly 6.6 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: English is, at 59%.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak English in Belgium?
An estimated 59% of Belgium's 12 million people speak English, which works out at roughly 7.1 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Belgium
- Capital
- Brussels
- Population
- 12 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 30,528 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- BE / BEL / 056
Which countries border Belgium?
Belgium shares a land border with four countries: Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. English, the most widely spoken language in Belgium, is also spoken in Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.