Health in Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium: official figures
Life expectancy at birth was 82.1 years in 2024 (82.4 for Belgium); 2nd highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
What is the death rate in Brussels-Capital Region?
The age-standardised death rate from all causes was 914.1 per 100,000 people in 2021, against 921.4 for Belgium as a whole and 1,073.4 across the EU. Age-standardised rates allow fair comparison between places with older and younger populations.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of cancer in Brussels-Capital Region?
Cancer killed 213.7 people per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 216.1 for Belgium as a whole and 233.1 across the EU. In 2015 it was 250.3.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of heart disease in Brussels-Capital Region?
The age-standardised death rate from heart attacks, strokes and other circulatory diseases was 200.4 per 100,000 in 2023, against 209.6 for Belgium as a whole and 312.9 across the EU. In 2015 it was 257.1.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die of respiratory disease in Brussels-Capital Region?
Respiratory diseases caused 99.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 95.7 for Belgium as a whole and 75.2 across the EU. In 2015 it was 106.5.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the suicide rate in Brussels-Capital Region?
In 2023, 9.6 people per 100,000 took their own life (age-standardised), against 13.5 for Belgium as a whole and 10.4 across the EU. In 2015 it was 10.3.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die in accidents in Brussels-Capital Region?
Accidents, injuries, violence and other external causes killed 53.6 per 100,000 in 2023 (age-standardised), against 61.1 for Belgium as a whole and 49.4 across the EU. In 2015 it was 60.4.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the infant mortality rate in Brussels-Capital Region?
3.2 babies in every 1,000 born alive died before their first birthday in 2024 (Belgium: 3.5; EU: 3.5). In 2014 it was 3.2.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyCan people in Brussels-Capital Region get medical care?
In 2025, 1.8% of people reported going without a needed medical examination because of cost, distance or waiting lists, compared with 0.9% nationally. In 2019 it was 4.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people die on the roads in Brussels-Capital Region?
Road accidents killed 9 people per million residents in 2024 (Belgium: 40). In 2014 it was 24.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is life expectancy for men and women in Brussels-Capital Region?
Women in Brussels-Capital Region could expect to live to 84.3 and men to 79.7 at 2024 death rates, a gap of 4.6 years.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow long do people live after 65 in Brussels-Capital Region?
People who reached 65 could expect 20.3 more years of life in 2024 (Belgium: 20.6).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Brussels-Capital Region compares with other regions
Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) (2021)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised, all causes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 1,056.8 |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 914.1 |
| 3 | Flanders | 848.4 |
Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Cancer deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 238.1 |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 213.7 |
| 3 | Flanders | 204.3 |
Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Heart and circulatory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 237.2 |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 200.4 |
| 3 | Flanders | 194.5 |
Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Respiratory deaths per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 117.8 |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 99.1 |
| 3 | Flanders | 84.2 |
Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Suicides per 100,000 (age-standardised) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 15.1 |
| 2 | Flanders | 13.1 |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 9.6 |
Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Deaths from accidents, injury and violence per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 73.7 |
| 2 | Flanders | 54.8 |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 53.6 |
Infant deaths per 1,000 live births (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyUnmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) (2025)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unmet need for medical care (cost, distance or waiting list) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 1.8% |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 1.8% |
| 3 | Flanders | 0.3% |
Road deaths per million people (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore on Brussels-Capital Region: overview · economy and jobs · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Belgium
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_silc_08_r: Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5484460cdfc…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
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