Birth rate in Brussels continues to rise

The number of births in the Brussels-Capital region is steadily increasing, according to the latest statistics from the Health and Welfare Observatory. In 2012, 19,355 children were born in the European capital, compared to 19,111 the previous year. That is a 27.7% increase compared to a decade ago.

Brussels is the only region in Belgium where the number of births is on the rise, the reason being simple demographics: The population is younger than in Flanders or Wallonia.

About half of the babies born in Brussels (49.4%) have a Belgian mother. Mothers from other EU countries account for 22.3% of the births, while 10.2% come from Morrocco, and 6.8% from sub-Saharan Africa.