A statement by Elon Musk, claiming that Belgium’s capital no longer truly belongs to Belgians, has sparked controversy across Europe. However, official statistics appear to back up the claim: 78% of Brussels’ residents are of non-Belgian origin.
As of January 1, 2025, only 22% of the population of the Brussels Capital Region can be classified as ethnically Belgian. Another 40.8% are Belgian citizens of foreign origin, while 37.2% are not Belgian citizens at all.
The majority of Brussels’ “new residents” originate from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, EU candidate countries, and West Asia. Waves of migration over recent decades have dramatically reshaped the city’s ethno-cultural structure.
At the same time, a paradoxical trend is unfolding: native Belgians are increasingly leaving Brussels for other parts of the country. Yet the city’s population continues to grow, driven by sustained immigration and significantly higher birth rates among migrant communities. In practice, Brussels has become an international enclave, where official languages and long-standing cultural traditions are steadily losing their connection to national roots.