Flemish immigration to Wallonia
Flemish immigration to Wallonia was an important phenomenon in the History of Belgium. Kas Deprez wrote: Flanders was poor and backward in the 19th century. It hardly took part in the first industrial revolution. Flemings migrated to Wallonia, to escape from the poverty at home.
Yves Quairiaux published the figures of the census from 1866 to 1910 which allow to understand the importance of this phenomenon.
Figures of the Flemish immigration
| Census | Arrondissements | Ath | Charleroi | Mons | Soignies | Thuin | Tournai | Huy | Liège | Verviers | Waremme | Walloon Brabant | Luxemburg | Namur |
| 1866 | Total population of Flemings | 88.811 1.877 2,11% | 212.446 9.044 4,26% | 189.168 1.575 0,83% | 100.869 7.890 7,91% | 96.283 485 0,50% | 176.653 6.342 3,59% | 80.874 433 0,54% | 284.668 20.399 7,17% | 128.041 6.300 4,92% | 49.130 2.500 5,09% | 150.162 2.960 5,09% | 199.910..... 645 .... 0,32% | 302.778 2.100 0,69% |
| 1880 | Total population of Flemings | 90.080 1.738 1,93% | 212.466 9.044 4,26% | 189.168 1.575 0,83% | 118.227 8.905 7,51% | 108.823 6.342 3,59% | 184.177 9.380 5,09% | 89.969 431 0,48% | 351.860 23.984 6,79% | 151.238 6.021 3,98% | 55.444 2.338 4,21% | 147.889 3.127 2,11% | 209.118... 916 ........ 0,44 | 322.654 2.606 0,81% |
| 1890 | Total population of Flemings | 88.554 2.638 2,98% | 347.179 15.912 4,58% | 227.835 2.921 1,28% | 129.323 11.526 8,91% | 114.496 1.078 0,94% | 183.751 17.901 9,74% | 98.847 753 0,76% | 419.163 39.537 9,43% | 166.996 5.818 3,48% | 57.361 3.359 5,86% | 162.571 6.397 3,93% | 211.711... 842..... 0,40% | 333.471 4.198 1,26% |
| 1900 | Total population of Flemings | 88.658 3.556 4,01% | 377.590 21.267 5,63% | 245.244 3.968 1,62% | 143.702 15.114 10,52% | 125.298 1.806 1,44% | 200.900 25.626 12,76% | 100.387 876 0,87% | 475.624 40.829 8,58% | 169.780 4.976 2,93% | 50.090 3.670 6,21% | 169.219 7.243 4,28% | 219.210... 1.225... 0,56% | 346.512 4.035 1,16% |
| 1910 | Total population of Flemings | 87.707 2.958 3,37% | 421.024 26.986 6,41% | 260.780 4.070 1,56% | 156.484 15.044 9,61% | 137.522 3.327 2,42% | 215.860 33.455 15,50% | 103.385 971 0,94% | 528.728 41.848 7,91% | 168.893 4.914 2,89% | 63.842 4.441 6,96% | 178.697 8.372 4,69% | 231.215... 1.546... 0,67% | 362.846 5.169 1,42% |
These figures correspond to the figures of the book of a Flemish journalist. Both authors agree that this phenomenon was very important in the nation building or in any case of the identity building of the two greatest Belgian population, the Walloons and the Flemings. Among the industrial areas along the Sillon industriel, the Borinage and the region of Verviers are less concerned by the phenomenon. The most important area of the Flemish immigration are three basins of the industrial Wallonia: Charleroi, Liège and the Centre around La Louvière. In the period of the census published by Quairiaux, almost 500,000 Flemings came in Wallonia to find a job in the industry.
The Belgian census calculate the number of Belgians who speak French, Flemish, and German. Quairiaux estimates the number of the Flemings in Wallonia on the basis that in Wallonia in this period only the Flemings were Flemish-speaking or bilingual. They quickly adopted the regional culture and the regional language.