In March 2026 the Centre for Population, Family and Health at the University of Antwerp presented new statistics regarding single people. Only 1 in 8 singles aged 23–39 (12%) are actively looking for a long-term partner, even though many remain open to one, the study find. While I haven’t found the paper behind these numbers, I have found other, interesting source material.
Belgium counted 5,199,324 private households on 1 January 2025, an increase of 36,185 compared with the previous year, or a rise of 0.70%. The number of private households therefore grew faster than the population, which increased by 0.53%. As a result, the average household size declined to 2.25 persons. These figures come from Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.
In addition to private households, Belgium also recorded 6,404 collective households on the same date. However, the analysis below focuses exclusively on private households.
Average household size continues to decline
The average household size in Belgium stood at 2.25 persons on 1 January 2025. Over the past decades, the country has experienced a steady downward trend. The average household size declined from 2.43 persons in 1995 to 2.32 in 2005, and from 2.30 in 2015 to 2.25 in 2025.
Regional figures show clear differences. In the Flemish Region (Flanders), the average household size fell from 2.52 persons in 1995 to 2.38 in 2005, then to 2.33 in 2015 and finally to 2.28 in 2025. In the Walloon Region (Wallonia), the average declined from 2.44 persons in 1995 to 2.31 in 2005, then to 2.29 in 2015 and to 2.22 in 2025.
The Brussels-Capital Region follows a different pattern. There, the average household size increased from 1.99 persons in 1995 to 2.02 in 2005 and to 2.14 in 2015. It has remained at roughly that level since, standing at 2.14 persons in 2025. After years of growth until around 2018, household size in Brussels stabilised and has shown a slight decline since 2021.
Household types in Belgium
On 1 January 2025, more than a third of private households in Belgium consisted of a single person.
Specifically, 36.3% were single-person households. Married couples without children accounted for 18.1% of households, while married couples with children represented 18.5%.
Cohabiting couples were less common: 6.6% of households consisted of cohabiting couples without children and 8.2% of cohabiting couples with children. Single-parent households accounted for 10.0% of all private households, while 2.3% belonged to other household types.
Regional differences are noticeable. Single-person households represented 33.4% of households in the Flemish Region, 37.7% in the Walloon Region and as much as 47.1% in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Married couples without children were most common in the Flemish Region, where they represented 21.5% of households, compared with 15.4% in Wallonia and 8.6% in Brussels. Married couples with children accounted for 19.9% of households in Flanders, 16.4% in Wallonia and 17.5% in Brussels.
Cohabiting couples without children represented 6.8% of households in the Flemish Region, 6.6% in the Walloon Region and 5.6% in Brussels. Cohabiting couples with children accounted for 7.9% of households in Flanders, 9.7% in Wallonia and 5.2% in Brussels.
Single-parent households were most common in the Walloon Region, where they represented 12.3% of households, followed by the Brussels-Capital Region at 11.6%. The Flemish Region had the lowest share at 8.4%.
Single-person households becoming increasingly common
Single-person households have become the most common household type in Belgium. Their share increased from 30.0% of households in 1995 to 33.1% in 2005, 34.1% in 2015 and 36.3% in 2025.
The same upward trend is visible in the regions. In the Flemish Region, the share rose from 25.7% in 1995 to 29.1% in 2005, 31.1% in 2015 and 33.4% in 2025. In the Walloon Region, it increased from 30.1% in 1995 to 34.1% in 2005, 35.2% in 2015 and 37.7% in 2025.
The pattern in the Brussels-Capital Region is different. There, single-person households accounted for 50.6% of households in 1995 and 49.9% in 2005. Their share declined to 46.5% in 2015 before rising slightly again to 47.1% in 2025. The share decreased until around 2016, stabilised afterwards and has shown a slight increase again since 2021.
Couples represent just over half of households
On 1 January 2025, 51.4% of private households in Belgium consisted of a couple. This included 18.1% married couples without children, 18.5% married couples with children, 6.6% cohabiting couples without children and 8.2% cohabiting couples with children.
The share of households consisting of a couple varies considerably by region. In the Flemish Region, couples accounted for 56.1% of households, compared with 48.0% in the Walloon Region and 36.9% in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Over the past three decades, the share of couple households has declined. In Belgium, it fell from 60.5% in 1995 to 55.9% in 2005, 54.2% in 2015 and 51.4% in 2025. The same downward trend can be seen in Flanders, where the share declined from 66.1% in 1995 to 56.1% in 2025, and in Wallonia, where it fell from 58.4% to 48.0%. In Brussels, the share has remained relatively stable.
Most couples remain married
Among households consisting of couples, the majority are still married. In 2025, 71.2% of couples in Belgium were married.
Regional figures show that 73.8% of couples were married in the Flemish Region, compared with 66.1% in the Walloon Region and 70.6% in the Brussels-Capital Region.
However, the share of married couples has fallen sharply over time. In 1995, 92.8% of couples in Belgium were married. This share declined to 85.5% in 2005, 77.0% in 2015 and 71.2% in 2025. The decrease has occurred in all three regions, with the strongest drop recorded in the Walloon Region.
Almost equal split between couples with and without children
Among households consisting of couples, the share with children and without children is now almost evenly balanced. In Belgium, 51.9% of couples have children living at home, while 48.1% do not.
In the Flemish Region the distribution is almost perfectly balanced, with 49.6% of couples having children and 50.4% without children. In the Walloon Region, 54.3% of couples have children, while in the Brussels-Capital Region the share is even higher at 61.5%.
Over the past decades, the share of couples with children has declined in Belgium, from 59.5% in 1995 to 54.3% in 2005, 53.2% in 2015 and 51.9% in 2025. The decline has been strongest in the Flemish Region, while Brussels has seen an increase over the same period.
Share of single-parent households stabilising
Single-parent households accounted for 10.0% of all private households in Belgium on 1 January 2025.
The share was highest in the Walloon Region, where 12.3% of households consisted of a single parent with children. The Brussels-Capital Region followed with 11.6%, while the Flemish Region had the lowest share at 8.4%.
Over the past decades, the proportion of single-parent households has gradually increased. In Belgium, it rose from 8.1% in 1995 to 9.5% in 2005 and 9.9% in 2015. By 2025, it had reached 10.0%, suggesting that the growth observed in earlier decades has begun to stabilise.
Single & Solo
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- STUDY | Singlehood in Belgium shaped by gender and migration background.
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- BOOK REVIEW | ‘Vanilla’ by Ype Driessen, daring to question the societal precedence of the romantic relationship.
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- STUDY | Single life no longer a transitional phase: only one in eight actively seeking a partner.
- The best cities to visit as a gay solo traveller.
- The best cities for gay cruising? London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona.
- Tourism Flanders tightens Airbnb rules to protect housing for singles.
- How Belgium has changed in the last 25 years.
- Belgians book Asia, vintage travel and boutique hotels for spring and summer 2025.
- SOLO TRAVEL | More expensive, but also some advantages.
- MONTREAL | Dining solo at Monarque felt like being part of a tv show.
- Antwerp Pride 2022 made big impact with Queertopia, monkeypox highjacked the festivities.
- Hotel room for one.
- SINGLES DAY | Why everyone should travel alone sometimes.
