More than 40% of Belgians speak only one language

Forty-two percent of Belgians speak only their native language, according to a study by the Directorate-General for Statistics and Economic Information. The research, which was conducted on the occasion of the European Day of Languages, shows that, among the Belgians who do speak a foreign language, English is the one they master best.

Of the 58% respondents who know at least one foreign language, 23.5% of them know two foreign languages, 16% speak three foreign languages and 4.6% speak four or more. A surprising 42% of the respondents know only their mother tongue.

There is a strong correlation between multilingualism and age and education level, according to the research, with the younger and better educated groups tending to know more foreign languages.

When asked which foreign languages they feel most confident speaking, 49% of the respondents choose English, and another 40% say English is their second-best foreign language.