<P> The total fertility rate (TFR) gradually increased during the last decade from 1.60 in 1997, 1.65 in 2002 and 1.82 in 2007 . The rates in Brussels are higher than the national average (1.79 in 1997, 1.93 in 2002 and 2.09 in 2007), while they are below the average in Flanders (1.54 in 1997, 1.56 in 2002 and 1.77 in 2007), due to the higher percentage of non-European immigrants with higher birth rates in Brussels . </P> <P> Male: 74.4 in 1999, 77.2 in 2009 Female: 80.9 in 1999, 82.4 in 2009 Total: 77.7 in 1999, 79.8 in 2009 </P> <P> The country is populated by a Flemish majority of about 6,400,000 people speaking Dutch, a French - speaking minority of 4,100,000 people (Walloons and French - speakers in Brussels), as well as 73,000 German speaking people in Wallonia, near the German border . However, David Levinson reports that "the Flemish and Walloon groups are described by experts as "communities" rather than as ethnic groups, and individuals can move easily from one community to the other by learning to speak the other language ". </P> <P> The largest group of immigrants and their descendants in Belgium are Italians, with more than 450,000 people, which is well over 4% of Belgium's total population . The Moroccans are the third - largest group, and the largest Muslim ethnic group, numbering 220,000 . </P>

Who formed majority in terms of population in belgium