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Moroccans are among Belgium's largest non-EU communities, according to a recent report by the country's Federal Migration Centre (Myria). Titled Migration in Figures and Rights, the report provides an overview of Belgium's demographic trends and immigration framework.
Myria classifies the population using three indicators: current nationality, the first nationality recorded in Belgium's National Register, and the nationality of a person's parents. As of January 1, 2025, Belgium's population stood at 11,825,551, of whom 2,952,551, or 25%, had a first foreign nationality, the category that includes the Moroccan community.
According to the report, people originating from outside the European Union account for 55% of residents with a first foreign nationality, compared with 45% from EU countries. They are also younger on average, with a mean age of 38, compared with 42.3 for EU nationals.
Residents with a first foreign nationality are unevenly distributed across Belgium. Flanders is home to 46% of the group (1,369,662 people), followed by Wallonia with 28% (816,686) and the Brussels-Capital Region with 26% (766,203).
Moroccans lead among naturalized citizens
The report highlights the strong presence of Moroccans among those who have acquired Belgian nationality. They rank first in Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region, and second in Wallonia, behind Italians.
In Flanders, 109,153 Moroccans have acquired Belgian citizenship, with women accounting for 49.7% and an average age of 43.3. In Wallonia, the figure stands at 50,489, with women representing 48.3% and an average age of 45.8. In the Brussels-Capital Region, 108,879 Moroccans have become Belgian citizens, with women making up 50.2% and an average age of 46.5.
Among the largest naturalized communities, Moroccans are also among the youngest. Their average age is 46.5 in Brussels, compared with 54.4 for Italians, 52.3 for French nationals in Wallonia and 47.4 for Turks in Brussels. The gender balance is also nearly even, with women accounting for between 48% and 50% of naturalized Moroccans, depending on the region.
Migration and residence permits
Belgium recorded 194,212 arrivals in 2024, including 171,706 foreign nationals. During the same period, 128,168 people left the country, among them 91,866 foreign nationals. Foreign immigration declined by 19% between 2022 and 2024, largely due to the drop in Ukrainian arrivals following the initial wave of refugees fleeing the war.
Moroccans ranked sixth among the largest groups of new arrivals in 2024, behind Romanians, French, Ukrainians, Dutch and Spaniards. A total of 7,404 Moroccans immigrated to Belgium during the year, representing 4% of all foreign arrivals. Moroccan immigration has gradually increased over the past decade, rising from 5,291 arrivals in 2014 to 6,696 in 2019. New Moroccan migrants have an average age of 30.5, and women account for 51% of arrivals.
Belgium also issued 159,060 first residence permits in 2024, including 139,406 to people born abroad and 19,654 to foreign nationals born in Belgium. The total number of first permits fell by 17% between 2022 and 2024, mainly because fewer Ukrainians benefited from temporary protection.
Among third-country nationals, including Moroccans, 80,576 first residence permits were issued in 2024, a 3% increase compared with 2023. Moroccans ranked second, after Ukrainians, with 6,586 first residence permits. Family-related reasons, including family reunification, remained the main basis for issuing permits to third-country nationals, accounting for 34% of the total. They were followed by international protection (16%), temporary protection (14%), study (13%), and work (10%).
