Looking for detailed information about Belgian domain names? Our statistics page provides a comprehensive overview of the total number of .be domain names, new registrations and deleted. You can also view trends from recent years and analyse detailed data from the past 12 months.
The .be domain was introduced in 1988 by EARN and Eunet, with Professor Pierre Verbaeten acting as manager. In early 2000, DNS Belgium took over management, followed by the liberalisation of the .be domain later that year.
In 2005, the launch of the .eu domain took place, which notably had no measurable impact on .be. However, a promotional campaign at the end of 2005 led to a marked spike, followed by a correction in 2006 due to a large number of non-renewals. From 2006 to 2019, the data shows a stable, linear upward trend.
From 2020, accelerated growth was observed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, evident as a temporary positive deviation above the established trend. From 2023 onwards, a slight negative break in the trend is visible. To counter this decline, growth strategies, awareness initiatives, and sensitisation campaigns have been deployed.
Since the liberalisation at the end of 2000, anyone has been able to register a .be domain name under the "first come, first served" principle, and the domain has grown steadily ever since.
Registration figures show a notable spike in 2005 due to a promotional campaign. Afterwards, inflow stabilises, displaying a clear seasonal pattern: peaks in December and dips during the summer months. A recurring cyclical wave. From 2012 onwards, a slight downward trend is visible, caused by market fragmentation following the introduction of new gTLDs (such as .shop, .app). The COVID period (2020–2021) led to a temporary peak, followed by a return to the regular seasonal pattern.
The creation of new domain names is also accompanied by the possibility of deleting domain names.
In 2006 and 2007, a distinct peak is visible due to the high dropout rate of free domain registrations from 2005; a short-term deviation from the stable baseline. From 2013 onwards, deletions have stabilised, with limited cyclical fluctuations. Each year, it is notable that September consistently records the lowest number of deletions.