The population of Flanders will grow by 5 per cent over the next decade reaching 7.11 million in 2033 according to a forecast published by Statistics Flanders. This means that the population of Flanders will grow at a slightly slower pace during the next 10 years than in the period 2013-2023. Back then, an increase of 6 per cent a year was recorded.
Growth will be highest (+22 per cent) among the age group of over 67s. In contrast, the group of under 18s is set to stagnate, while growth in the 18-to-66-year-old category will increase by only 1 per cent. By 2033, Flanders will boast almost 1.55 million over-67-year-olds.
"The ageing trend continues," says Statistics Flanders. "Just about all Flemish municipalities will see an increase in the number of over-67-s. The strongest increase is mainly in municipalities in northern Limburg and the Antwerp Kempen region."
Households are also changing
By 2033, the number of people living alone will be up by more than 1.05 million, a phenomenon especially among the older generations.
The number of people living with a partner increases slightly (+3 per cent to 3.3 million), again with the strongest increase among those aged 67 and over.
The number of households in Flanders will also increase by 5 per cent by 2033. Due to a strong increase in the number of single-person households, the average household size falls slightly from 2.29 people in 2023 to 2.27 people in 2033.
Statistics Flanders' outlook
Statistics Flanders bases its demographic projections on recent evolutions in terms of births, deaths, internal and international migration.