Belgium

Islam in Belgium is the second largest religion after Christianity and plays an increasingly visible role in the country’s religious and cultural landscape.

1. Population & Demographics

  • Muslims make up about 5–6% of Belgium’s total population (roughly 600,000–700,000 people).
  • The Muslim population is concentrated in major cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Charleroi, and Liège.
  • In Brussels, Muslims represent nearly 25–30% of the population, making Islam very present in daily city life.

2. Origins & Ethnic Composition
The vast majority of Belgian Muslims are from immigrant backgrounds, mainly:

  • Moroccan descent (the largest group)
  • Turkish descent
  • Smaller communities from Algeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Islam spread in Belgium through labor migration after World War II, especially in the 1960s and 70s when Belgium signed agreements with Morocco and Turkey for guest workers.

3. Mosques & Institutions

  • There are about 300-400 mosques across the country.
  • The Great Mosque of Brussels is a prominent landmark and serves as the seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium.
  • Islam was officially recognized by the Belgian state in 1974, giving Muslim communities access to state funding for mosques and religious education.

4. Education & Social Life

  • Islamic religious education is part of the public school system for students who opt for it.
  • Muslim students can request halal meals and exemptions for religious practices.
  • Halal food, Islamic clothing (like hijab), and Islamic cultural festivals (such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) are now visible parts of Belgian society.

5. Challenges & Integration

  • There are ongoing public debates about the role of Islam in Belgian society, especially regarding headscarves (hijab) in schools and workplaces, as well as concerns about radicalization.
  • Despite these challenges, many Muslims are well-integrated into Belgian society, contributing to politics, sports, arts, and business.

6. Notable Facts

  • Some cities in Belgium (like Brussels) have Muslim-majority neighborhoods.
  • Belgian Muslims have formed active civil rights organizations, cultural associations, and youth movements to represent their interests and improve integration.

Summary:
Islam in Belgium is a significant and growing part of the national identity, shaped by migration history and enriched by a diverse Muslim community. While social debates continue, the faith is an integral part of urban life in modern Belgium.

Belgium
Country Code Top-Level Domain: .be
Country Code: +32