Belgium is a country that borders Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France, a fact that has influenced the languages ​​that are currently spoken in the territory. In this article, we will tell you which languages ​​are the official languages ​​of this State and in which areas they are practiced.

Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.

Article Index

What language is spoken in Belgium?

Official languages

Belgium has three official languages: French, dutch or Flemish, and German. However, these are not spoken throughout its territory, but are used in different parts.



In this map you can see in different colors the linguistic zones into which the country is divided:

The area in orange is where it is spoken dutch (Flanders), in the French red (Wallonia) and in the German abode. As for the green color, it refers to Brussels, an officially bilingual territory (although French predominates). The following table shows the population that speaks each language:

LanguagePercentageNumber of people
Dutch60%6.500.000
French39%4.500.000
German1%75.000



As we can see, the most widely spoken language in Belgium is Dutch, followed by French and, finally, German, spoken by only 1% of the population. This is used in a small territory that until the First World War belonged to Germany. The provinces where each language is spoken are these:

Dutch
Antwerp, West Flanders, East Flanders, North Brabant and Limburg
French
Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg, Namur and Walloon Brabant
German
east of the province of Liège

Also, in each area we find some dialects. For example, from flamenco come the Limburgish and Brabanzón, and from the French the Walloon and the Picardo, among others.

The famous Tomorrowland music festival is held in Boom Township. Here the main language is Dutch.

Travel to Belgium

If you are going to visit Belgium and you have doubts about which language to use, it depends on the area. First of all, in tourist cities like Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent you will be able to communicate in English. Even in some establishments they may speak Spanish.

Outside the tourist areas, it is important that you use the official language of that place and not another of the country's languages, as it is frowned upon. For example, if you go to Hainaut, you must speak French and not Dutch or Flemish.

On the other hand, if you plan to go to live in this country, it is difficult to find a job without knowing any of the official languages. In most cases, English is not enough.

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