Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

According to official figures released in Brussels, 48,589 marriages were registered in Belgium in 2024, representing a 4.3% increase compared to 2023. The largest increase was in Flanders, near the Dutch border (+6.7%), while the number of marriages also rose in Wallonia, near the French border (+2.8%), and the Brussels-Capital Region (+3.1%). This is according to new results released by the Belgian Statistical Office on Thursday.

Location and Diversity of Marriages
Most marriages in 2024 took place within Belgium, while 9% were held abroad. The majority of marriages still involve same-nationality couples (77.5%), meaning that mixed marriages accounted for 22.5% in 2024.
Age Difference Between Partners
The average age at first marriage is increasing. In 2019, the average age at marriage was just over 30 years; it is projected to rise to nearly 32 years in 2024. Logically, the average age in subsequent marriages will also be higher, increasing from 45.08 years in 2019 to 49.08 years in 2024.

More than 9 out of 10 marriages are between people of the same or very close age group (94.0%). The average age difference between spouses decreases slightly in first marriages: from 2.36 years in 2019 to 2.18 years in 2024. In subsequent marriages, the average age difference remains relatively stable: 4.83 years in both 2019 and 2024.

The number of registered marriages refers to marriages that took place during the year in which at least one spouse was legally resident in the country at the time of the marriage. The current population of Belgium is 11,772,381 as of Thursday, March 12, 2026, based on details of the latest United Nations data.