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Brussels has a population of about 1 million. Most are Belgians. But there are people in Brussels from practically every country in the world. It houses the headquarters of the EU institutions and of NATO, which attract diplomatic and business people. As the capital of Belgium, it has drawn many others, including asylum seekers and refugees as well as ambassadors and executives. Some of the international community of Brussels are rich, some are poor. What many of them have in common is the most widely spoken language in the world – bad English.
Not always bad. At least 25 000 people in Brussels speak English as their mother tongue. The same again probably use English as a daily means of communication. About a third of the people of Brussels speak English reasonably well.
The English-speaking population of Brussels are here to work and they work hard. A diplomatic or business posting in Brussels is often a career step for fast-moving people in their 30s or 40s, leading to other things.
