Brussels, September 26, 2024 – The cliché image of a teenage boy playing video games in his room is long outdated. Recent figures from Video Games Federation Belgium (VGFB) give an accurate picture of the Belgian gamer in 2023. General Manager VGFB, David Verbruggen: “No fewer than 4.5 million Belgians play video games occasionally. Almost half of them are women and 1 in 3 Belgian gamers is over 35 years old. Video games have evolved from a niche hobby to a popular and worthy form of entertainment for young and old.”
Video Games Federation Belgium (VGFB) surveys the state of affairs in the sector every year. In addition to an extensive survey among parents and guardians of children between the ages of 4 and 17, the results of which were previously announced, VGFB also surveys figures about Belgian gamers in general. The most recent study examines sales figures and player data from 2023 and allows a number of interesting conclusions to be drawn.
4.5 million Belgians played video games in 2023. That is the same as in 2022, which means that the growth after the corona period of 2021 is consolidated. Of a Belgian population in 2023 of 11.7 million inhabitants, almost 40% appear to play video games regularly.
Details about the profile of those Belgian gamers show that female gamers are on the rise. In the past 15 years, the share of female video game players has increased by 10%. In 2023, female gamers accounted for 47% of all gamers in Belgium, which is a larger share than in Europe where 43.5% of all gamers are women in 2023. Given the growing attention for and investment in diversity in games, by both publishers and developers, VGFB expects this trend to continue in the coming years.
The average age of the Belgian gamer is, just like in the rest of Europe, 31 years (31.2 to be precise). 37% of the Belgian gamers are older than 35 years and no less than 21% are older than 45 years.
