THE HAGUE, Friday - More than 111,000 Dutch people lived in Belgium in 2006. Conversely, only 36,000 Belgians had their home in the Netherlands, figures by the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) show.

Cheaper houses are one of the main reasons to move to Belgium, just as a relationship with a Belgian partner. In addition, Dutch people are attracted to the quieter living environment and the attractive countryside in the Ardennes and German-speaking East Flanders. Many Dutch nationals live in Brussels, too.

Belgians living in the Netherlands also often live near the border, although single Belgians are more likely to live in (university) cities. In addition to work and study, a relationship with a Dutch partner is an important reason for Belgians to move to the Netherlands.

The number of Dutch people living in Belgium has doubled in the last 15 years, while the number of Belgians living in the Netherlands has hardly changed. The average age of Belgians in the Netherlands is 43.5 years, compared with 45.7 years for Dutch people in Belgium.