Beninese people in Belgium: how many, where they live, and how to find each other

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

Beninese people in Belgium do not form a large diaspora, but a growing community, spread across Brussels, Liège, Hainaut and the university towns, and one that knows how to get together: in 2026, Independence Day was celebrated in Brussels, in Louvain-la-Neuve and near Liège. This article sets out what Belgian statistics say, what to know about students, institutional and community contacts, and how to join your compatriots, whether you come to study or with your family. If you are still torn between Belgium and France for your studies, our Campus France Benin guide describes the French procedure.

How many Beninese people live in Belgium?

Statbel, Belgium's statistics office, publishes the population by nationality on 1 January every year. For Beninese nationality, the trend is clear:

Three takeaways:

One limit to keep in mind: these figures count people of Beninese nationality in the Belgian registers. A Beninese person who became Belgian no longer appears, nor do their children born in Belgium with Belgian nationality. The community of Beninese origin is therefore larger, though no public source we consulted makes it possible to measure it.

Where do Beninese people live in Belgium?

A feature of this community: Wallonia clearly outweighs Brussels and Flanders.

Liège stands out as the first city (103), ahead of Charleroi (91), the municipality of Brussels (63) and Mons (57). The Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve figure is also striking: 38 Beninese nationals in a municipality of about 32,000 people, home to UCLouvain's main campus, more than in Ghent or Antwerp. Hainaut, with 232 people, has grown by almost 80% since 2021 (130).

Belgium or France: two diasporas on very different scales

Compared with France, the Beninese community in Belgium remains small. The UN (International Migrant Stock 2024) estimates the number of Benin-born migrants living in France at 31,581, the fifth country of residence for Beninese people abroad after Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and Gabon. Belgium does not appear in that list of destinations with at least 1,000 Beninese migrants, which is why Statbel gives the order of magnitude here.

This difference in scale changes everyday life:

Studying in Belgium when you come from Benin

According to Unesco data quoted by Campus France (the French agency for international students) in its Benin mobility sheet, 202 Beninese students were studying in Belgium in 2023, putting Belgium tenth among their destinations, far behind France (4,735). The number is rising: it was 177 in 2020.

The procedure differs from France's: Belgium does not use Campus France or the Études en France platform. You apply directly to the university or university college, then apply for a student visa from the Belgian authorities, with a file specific to Belgium. Our guide to studying in Belgium was written for students from the Maghreb, but it also covers the steps shared by all non-EU nationals. The official rules are on the Immigration Office website.

On housing, the Belgian market has its own codes: student lease, rental deposit, flat-sharing. Our guide to finding accommodation in Belgium explains where to look and how to avoid pitfalls, whether you arrive alone or with your family.

Institutional and community contacts

A few points of support exist, worth knowing before you need them:

EUDiF, a European Union programme on diasporas, notes that the HCBE has gone through internal disputes and that some branches were suspended: check the current state of each body before contacting it. For a passport or a legalisation, contact the embassy through its official channels before going there. For students, we found no documented Beninese student association at UCLouvain or ULiège in the public sources we consulted; African student associations and university welcome services remain the first points of contact.

1 August, Independence Day celebrated in Belgium

1 August marks the independence of Dahomey, which became Benin, in 1960. In Belgium, the date brings the community together, and in 2026 Compatri listed three public celebrations, based on their posters:

• in Brussels, on 1 August 2026, an all-you-can-eat barbecue at the Resto-Bar Afro-Fusion, at 12 euros per adult and 6 euros per child;
• in Louvain-la-Neuve, the same day from 4 pm to 8 pm, an Independence Day party at the AGOR, on the UCLouvain campus, with ablo and fish, or télibo and man, on the menu;
• in Oupeye, near Liège, on 8 August 2026, a Vano Baby concert at the château d'Oupeye, free entry, under the patronage of the Honorary Consulate of Benin in Liège.

These three events map the community: the capital, the campus, the Liège area. The Benin Independence Day page gathers celebrations across the whole diaspora, in Belgium and elsewhere, and will list the 2027 ones as soon as they are published.

Brussels, Liège, Louvain-la-Neuve: getting together day to day

A community of a few hundred people per city has one advantage: you find your way quickly, as long as you know where to start. Three habits help:

Before you arrive: four habits

Joining the Beninese of Belgium on Compatri

That is what Compatri is for: finding people from your country of origin in the city where you live. The Beninese in Belgium page gathers the country's Beninese communities, in Brussels, Liège or Louvain-la-Neuve, where students, young professionals and families post meet-ups, answer questions and welcome newcomers. You can join the one in your future city before you even arrive. The « African students » group, open beyond a single city, completes this network for questions about studies and housing.

Compatri is not a service of the Belgian state, the embassy or a consulate, and does not replace the official source: for your procedures, refer to the Immigration Office, your municipality and your institution.

Official sources

• Statbel: population structure, foreign population by nationality
• Campus France: Benin mobility sheet, October 2025 (PDF)
• Immigration Office: coming to Belgium to study
• EUDiF (European Union): diaspora engagement mapping, Benin (PDF)
• European External Action Service: diplomatic list (PDF)