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2011 census figures published

According to new census figures published on Wednesday, there were 11,000,638 people living in Belgium in 2011. The 2011 census was the first to be entirely compiled digitally. The reason for the delay of almost three years in publishing its finding came due to various databases having to be brought together while gathering and processing the information on which the census results are based.

The census also reveals that 34% of households in Belgium are made up of just one person.

The percentage of people living alone is higher in the big cities with around half of all households in Brussels being made up of people living alone.

One in ten Belgian households are one-parent families. There are also big regional difference in the level of home-ownership with Limburg have the most owner-occupiers.

The census

A census is held every ten years in Belgium. The first census of the Belgian population was carried out in 1846. Not only is the number of people living here counted, but also the composition of families and households.

The data derived from the census is used by law-makers, scientists and international organisations such as the OECD and the UN.

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