Languages of Belgium
As a result of being in between Latin and Germanic Europe, and historically being split between different principalities, the Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. A number of non-official, minority languages and dialects are spoken as well.
Official languages
Legal status
The Belgian Constitution guarantees, since the country's independence, freedom of language in the private sphere. Article 30 specifies that "the use of languages spoken in Belgium is optional; only the law can rule on this matter, and only for acts of the public authorities and for legal matters." For those public authorities, there is extensive language legislation concerning Dutch, French and German, even though the Belgian Constitution does not explicitly mention which languages enjoy official status. Article 4 divides the country into linguistic areas, which form the basis of the federal structure: "Belgium has four linguistic areas: The French-speaking area, the Dutch-speaking area, the bilingual area of Brussels Capital, and the German-speaking area."Before the federal structure and the language legislation were gradually introduced in the later 20th century, French was generally the only language used by public authorities. For example, the Dutch version of the Constitution has enjoyed equal status to the original French one only since 1967, and the German version since 1991.
Of the inhabitants of Belgium, roughly 59% belong to the Flemish Community, 40% to the French Community, and 1% to the German-speaking Community. These figures relating to official Belgian languages overlook substantial numbers of immigrants and their children, who may speak a foreign language as primary language, as well as of Belgian regional migrants, who likely largely balance one another for native French and Dutch speakers. A large French-speaking population lives around Brussels, in Flanders, though by geography is considered part of the Flemish Community. Though the standard form of Dutch used in Belgium is almost identical to that spoken in the Netherlands, and the different dialects across the border, it is often colloquially called "Flemish".
Dutch
Dutch is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. Along with French, it is an official language of the Brussels-Capital Region. The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish, and Limburgish. All these are spoken across the border in the Netherlands as well, and West Flemish is also spoken in French Flanders. Much like English, Flemish dialects have adopted more French and other Romance vocabulary through mutual cultural exchange throughout history when compared with other Dutch dialects. As such, they are not always readily intelligible for Dutch speakers outside Flanders. Nevertheless, linguists regard these as varieties of Dutch. Words which are unique to Belgian Dutch are called belgicisms. The original Brabantian dialect of Brussels has been very much influenced by French. It is now spoken by a minority in the Capital region, since the primary language of most inhabitants shifted during the Francization of Brussels.French
The second-most spoken primary language, used natively by approximately one third of the population, is French. It is the official language of the French Community, the dominant language in Wallonia, as well as the Brussels-Capital Region. Almost all of the inhabitants of the Capital region speak French as either their primary language or as a lingua franca. Many Flemish people also speak French as a second language. Belgian French is in most respects identical to the French of France, but differs in some points of vocabulary, pronunciation, and semantics.According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, 76% of Belgians could speak French in 2022.
German
German is the least prevalent official language in Belgium, spoken natively by less than 1% of the population. The German-speaking Community of Belgium numbers 79,500, residing in an area of Belgium that was ceded by the former German Empire as part of the Treaty of Versailles, which concluded World War I. In 1940, Nazi Germany re-annexed the region, following its invasion of Belgium during World War II; after the war it was returned to Belgium.Use
In national politics, politicians can freely choose to speak in any of the three official languages. In turn, the Belgian parliament provides simultaneous interpretation for those who require it to assist in communication.Education is provided by the Communities, Dutch in the Flemish Community, French in the French Community, German in the German-speaking community. Instruction in other languages is prohibited in government-funded schools except for foreign language subjects. However, the English language has become increasingly used in higher education.
Also all official correspondence and communication with the government must be in the official language of the region or community. Inhabitants of a few municipalities are granted an exception to these rules.
Multilingualism
In 2006, the Université catholique de Louvain, the country's largest French-speaking university, published a report with the introduction :Within the report, professors in economics Ginsburgh and Weber further show that of Brussels' residents, 95% declared they can speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% know the non-local English. Of those under the age of forty, 59% in Flanders declared that they could speak all three, along with 10% in Wallonia and 28% in Brussels. In each region, Belgium's third official language, German, is notably less known than those.