Belgium’s national statistics office, Statbel, finds that France is the most popular choice for Belgians relocating within the European Union.
The latest data, published on Thursday, indicates that as of 1st January 2023, 117,125 Belgians were residing in France – the highest by quite a considerable amount.
In second place, Spain was the chosen home for 40,929 Belgians, with many Belgians often choosing to retire in the warmer climates of the Spanish Riviera.
For those who are unfazed by damper climates (and want to stay close to home), 39,023 Belgians lived in The Netherlands, 26,770 settled in Germany, and 19,205 moved to Luxembourg.
Compared to 2021 figures, there has been a notable increase in Belgians moving to these five countries: 10.1% more chose France, the Netherlands attracted 5.4% more Belgians, Germany 2% more and Spain 0.6% more.
How many Belgians live in another EU country? Credit: Statbel
Luxembourg was the only country to see a decrease, with 2.1% fewer Belgians living there between 2021 and 2023.
Just outside the top 5, but considerably behind Luxembourg, are Portugal and Italy. Following that is Austria and Sweden.
At the bottom of the list, Lithuania was the least favoured destination, with only 31 Belgian nationals residing in the Baltic nation. Its neighbour Latvia (39 Belgian nationals) was second to last, with Slovenia (122) closing the bottom three.
