Children per Woman in Belgium: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)
Updated October 2026 · ⬇ download this dataset (CSV) · methodology
In the 2020s, children per woman in Belgium stands at 1.58 births — ranking #108 of 157 countries. In 1900 it was 4.1 births. (Source: UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
A birth rate is more than a data point; it is the architecture of a home. These figures map the intimate realities of family formation and the transformation of households across centuries in Belgium. When the 1800s estimate stood at 5.09 births, the domestic world was defined by a crowded, bustling rhythm of care and labor. As these numbers shifted, so did the quiet yet monumental redefinition of parenthood, altering the daily rhythms of childhood and the very social fabric of the nation.
The historical arc reveals a steady downward movement. From the 1810s estimate of 4.99 births, the 1820s estimate of 4.9, the 1830s estimate of 4.8, the 1840s estimate of 4.7, the 1850s estimate of 4.6, the 1860s estimate of 4.5, the 1870s estimate of 4.4, the 1880s estimate of 4.3, and the 1890s estimate of 4.2, the trajectory fell to 4.1 births in 1900. This decline persisted through the 1910s estimate of 3.82, the 1920s estimate of 3.54, the 1930s estimate of 3.25, the 1940s estimate of 2.97, the 1950s at 2.68, the 1960s at 2.45, the 1970s at 2.21, the 1980s at 1.98, and the 1990s at 1.72 births.
The modern era shows a slight stabilization. After reaching a low in the 2000s at 1.47, the rate rose through the 2010s at 1.52 to the 2020s at 1.58 births, ranking #108 of 157 countries. Looking ahead, projections suggest a gentle upward trend: the 2030s projection at 1.62, the 2040s projection at 1.64, the 2050s projection at 1.66, the 2060s projection at 1.67, the 2070s projection at 1.68, the 2080s projection at 1.69, the 2090s projection at 1.69, and the 2100s projection at 1.69 births.
Explore MYRIAD to compute your own parallel lives across the statistics of human existence.
🇧🇪 Average number of children a woman would bear over her lifetime. For Belgium, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there.
Decade by decade
| Decade | Children per Woman (births) |
|---|---|
| 1800s estimate | 5.09 |
| 1810s estimate | 4.99 |
| 1820s estimate | 4.9 |
| 1830s estimate | 4.8 |
| 1840s estimate | 4.7 |
| 1850s estimate | 4.6 |
| 1860s estimate | 4.5 |
| 1870s estimate | 4.4 |
| 1880s estimate | 4.3 |
| 1890s estimate | 4.2 |
| 1900s estimate | 4.1 |
| 1910s estimate | 3.82 |
| 1920s estimate | 3.54 |
| 1930s estimate | 3.25 |
| 1940s estimate | 2.97 |
| 1950s | 2.68 |
| 1960s | 2.45 |
| 1970s | 2.21 |
| 1980s | 1.98 |
| 1990s | 1.72 |
| 2000s | 1.47 |
| 2010s | 1.52 |
| 2020s | 1.58 |
| 2030s projection | 1.62 |
| 2040s projection | 1.64 |
| 2050s projection | 1.66 |
| 2060s projection | 1.67 |
| 2070s projection | 1.68 |
| 2080s projection | 1.69 |
| 2090s projection | 1.69 |
| 2100s projection | 1.69 |
Keep exploring
- Life Expectancy at Birth in Belgium
- Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) in Belgium
- Child Mortality (under 5) in Belgium
- Years of Schooling in Belgium
- Living in Cities in Belgium
- Full country profile: Belgium
- Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →
Questions people ask
What is the Children per Woman in Belgium today?
1.58 births in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank).
How much did Children per Woman in Belgium change since 1950?
From 2.68 to 1.58 births — a change of about -41%.
Where does Belgium rank worldwide?
#108 of 157 countries covered by MYRIAD in the 2020s.