Partnership

Purpose and Summary Description of the Census 2021 Census is a photograph on January 1, 2021 of the population residing in Belgium. It provides a wide range of figures on the housing and demographic, socio-economic and educational characteristics of citizens. The purpose of the Census is twofold: respond to the European Regulation[1] and produce statistics for specific national needs (administrations, international organisations, researchers, businesses and individuals). Formerly based on a comprehensive survey of all citizens, the Census has been based exclusively on the use of administrative databases since 2011. Definitions Various statistical units The population taken into account for the 2021 Census corresponds to the resident population, as registered in the National Register of Natural Persons (RNPP), as at 1 January 2021. The Belgian population includes Belgians and non-Belges admitted or authorised to settle or reside in the territory but does not include non-Belges staying for less than three months in the territory, asylum seekers and non-Belges in an irregular situation[2]. Private households This group consists of persons living alone in a dwelling and groups of several persons living in the same dwelling and providing together for the basic needs of existence. Family nuclei A family nucleus consists of two or more people who live in the same household and whose ties are those of husband and wife, partners in registered partnership, partners living in consensual union, or parent and child. Housing Spaces This set includes all the premises that serve as the habitual residence of one or more persons. Classic dwellings The classic dwellings are separate sets (surrounded by walls and covered with a roof) and independent (with a direct entrance to the street or a staircase, a corridor), which are designed to serve as a permanent dwelling. Occupied conventional dwellings These are conventional dwellings that serve as the habitual residence of one or more private households. Variables and their description Gender This variable distinguishes men from women. Age The age is indicated in years past 1 January 2021. Place of habitual residence The place of residence is the one registered in the National Register on 1 January 2021. It is therefore the place of legal residence. Belgian municipalities changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons presented on this site, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021. Locality The locality is a distinct population agglomeration, i.e. an area defined by a population group living in adjacent or contiguous buildings. This area is a set of buildings, none of which is more than 200 metres away from the nearest construction. Belgian municipalities changed between 2011 and 2021. In the comparisons presented on this site, the figures for 2011 are broken down according to the municipalities of 2021. Legal marital status The legal marital status represents the legal situation of an individual under the laws concerning marriage and registered partnership. Belgian legislation is familiar with the concept of legal cohabitation, a concept which responds only partially to the concept of registered partnership, since it does not imply legal marital obligations between two persons. Thus, a legal cohabitation can be concluded between, for example, a brother and his sister, or between a father and his son. In order to provide the most accurate assessment of the concept of registered partnership, individuals with family ties were removed from the legal cohabiting population. Legal cohabitation A couple is considered to be living as a “registered partnership” when they have made a declaration of legal cohabitation and there is no relationship between the two cohabitants or if they have entered into a partnership in a legal form in a foreign country. Note The comparison with the previous Census requires some caution: this publication is based on the Belgian population and the 2011 Census refers to the European definition of population. Information on the difference between the Belgian population and that of the Census 2011 [1] COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2017/543 of 22 March 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the themes and their subdivisions. [2]More information on how this population is determined