ABOUT US
We paint as accurate a possible apictureof 1000Brussels’ residents of the 2020s based on available figures and demographic data. This is the only way to truly reveal Brussels' richly diverse community.
Suppose Brussels were 1000 people. Who would they be? Where do they live? Where do they come from? How old are they? Do they have enough money? Are they in good health? What languages do they speak? And what about their movements into, within and outside of Brussels?
Age of Brussels residents
If Brussels were 1000 people
would be under
4 years old
would be between
5 and 9 years old
would be between
10 and 14 years old
would be between
15 and 19 years old
would be
in their twenties
would be
in their thirties
would be
in their forties
would be
in their fifties
would be
in their sixties
149 would be
in their seventies
149 would be
above eighty
If Brussels were 1000 people
151
would live in
Brussel-1000
108
would live in
Schaarbeek / Schaerbeek
99
would live in
Anderlecht
80
would live in
Sint-Jans-Molenbeek /
Molenbeek Saint Jean
71
would live in
Elsene / Ixelles
68
would live in
Ukkel / Uccle
47
would live in
Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe /
Woluwe Saint Lambert
45
would live in
Vorst / Forest
43
would live in
Jette / Jette
40
would live in
Sint Gillis /
Saint Gilles
39
would live in
Etterbeek
34
would live in
Evere
34
would live in
Sint-Pieters-Woluwe /
Woluwe Saint Pierre
28
would live in
Oudergem / Auderghem
22
would live in
Sint-Joost / Saint Josse
20
would live in
Sint-Agatha-Berchem /
Berchem Sainte Agathe
20
would live in
Ganshoren
20
would live in
Watermaal-Bosvoorde /
Watermael Boitsfort
18
would live in
Koekelberg
Spoken languages
If Brussels were 1000 people
They would speak many different languages. 740 of them would speak more than one language. 370 would even speak at least 3. Only 90 Brussels residents would be classically bilingual - Dutch and French. 280 would be newly bilingual and thus speak 2 languages other than the classical combination. And 76 out of 1000 Brussels residents would speak neither French, Dutch nor English.
Migration background
If Brussels were 1000 people
640 of them would have Belgian nationality. But 600 Brussels residents would be born with a nationality other than Belgian. And looking at the country of birth, 540 of Brussels residents would be born in Belgium and therefore did not migrate across national borders themselves. Indeed, as many as 743 Brussels residents would descend from immigration - just through their own or their parents' migration. Taking several generations into account, this could be as many as 829. 352 would come from a European country, including 88 from France and 78 from Italy. 178 Brussels residents would have migration roots in Morocco. 46 would have Turkish, 42 Romanian, 35 Spanish and 28 Congolese migration roots. We would be the second most super-diverse city in the world after Dubai.
178
88
78
46
42
35
28
22
17
14
14
13
13
13
11
10
10
9
8
8
7
6
6
5
Other datas
If Brussels were 1000 people
Brussels residents would
be poor or at high risk of social exclusion.
Brussels residents would
consider themselves not healthy.
Brussels residents would
be women
Brussels residents would
identify themselves as LGBTQIA+.
Brussels is not only a diverse city, but also a "fluid" one. In recent years, through migration inside and outside Belgium, hundreds of thousands have arrived in Brussels, but just as many hundreds of thousands have left again.
Brussels is also an emancipation factory. Brussels residents come and go. They come to Brussels to prepare for their future, learn languages, live together, have their first work experience... Then they leave again, taking Brussels to the world.
With "This is Us. This is Brussels" we want to paint as accurate as possible a picture of the people of Brussels from the 2020s to the 21st century. With a specially trained group of heritage brokers, we are collecting their stories and expectations. With this, we are building a human archive. We are already creating the cultural heritage of the future. And so we are writing history today. But we are also creating a new "we". We, the people of Brussels. All different, but still we, the Brussels people. This is Us. This is Brussels.
A resident of Brussels has many layers, with more backgrounds and more contacts, languages and cultures. In short: a Brusseler is richer, in the most valuable sense of that word.
