OECD Economic Surveys: Belgium 2022

Basic statistics of Belgium, 2021

Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE
Population (million, 2020)	11.5		Population density per km² (2020)	381.2	(38.7)
Under 15 (%, 2020)	17.0	(17.8)	Life expectancy at birth (years, 2020)	80.8	(79.7)
Over 65 (%, 2020)	19.3	(17.4)	Men (2020)	78.6	(77.0)
International migrant stock (% of population, 2019)	17.2	(13.2)	Women (2020)	83.1	(82.5)
Latest 5-year average growth (%)	0.5	(0.6)	Latest general election	May-2019
ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP)			Value added shares (%, 2020)
In current prices (billion USD)	598.9		Agriculture, forestry and fishing	0.7	(2.7)
In current prices (billion EUR)	506.2		Industry including construction	21.7	(26.2)
Latest 5-year average real growth (%)	1.2	(1.5)	Services	77.6	(71.1)
Per capita (thousand USD PPP, 2020)	53.1	(46.2)
GENERAL GOVERNMENT Per cent of GDP
Expenditure (OECD: 2020)	54.9	(48.5)	Gross financial debt (OECD: 2020)	128.6	(133.5)
Revenue (OECD: 2020)	49.4	(38.1)	Net financial debt (OECD: 2020)	88.6	(81.2)
EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS
Exchange rate (EUR per USD)	0.85		Main exports (% of total merchandise exports, 2020)
PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)	0.73		Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.	34.0
In per cent of GDP			Machinery and transport equipment	22.8
Exports of goods and services	85.5	(54.6)	Manufactured goods	16.2
Imports of goods and services	84.2	(51.1)	Main imports (% of total merchandise imports, 2020)
Current account balance	-0.4	(0.1)	Machinery and transport equipment	27.9
Net international investment position	54.7		Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.	27.4
			Manufactured goods	13.0
LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION
Employment rate (aged 15 and over, %, OECD: 2020)	51.1	(55.1)	Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (aged 15 and over, %, OECD: 2020)	6.3	(7.1)
Men (OECD: 2020)	55.2	(63.0)	Youth (aged 15-24, %)	18.2	(12.8)
Women (OECD: 2020)	47.1	(47.7)	Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %, 2020)	2.3	(1.3)
Participation rate (aged 15 and over, %, 2020)	53.8	(59.5)	Tertiary educational attainment (aged 25-64, %, 2020)	42.4	(39.0)
Average hours worked per year (2020)	1,481	(1,687)	Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2018)	2.8	(2.6)
ENVIRONMENT
Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2020)	4.4	(3.7)	CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2019)	7.9	( 8.3)
Renewables (%, 2020)	9.4	(11.9)	Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m³, 2018)	0.4
Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 µg/m³ of PM 2.5, % of population, 2019)	93.1	(61.7)	Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2020)	0.4	(0.5)
SOCIETY
Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2019, OECD: latest available)	0.262	(0.317)	Education outcomes (PISA score, 2018)
Relative poverty rate (%, 2019, OECD: 2018)	8.1	(11.7)	Reading	493	(485)
Median disposable household income (thousand USD PPP, 2019, OECD: 2018)	33.6	(25.4)	Mathematics	508	(487)
Public and private spending (% of GDP)			Science	499	(487)
Health care (2019)	10.7	(8.8)	Share of women in parliament (%)	42.0	(32.4)
Pensions (2017)	11.5	(8.6)	Net official development assistance (% of GNI, 2017)	0.4	(0.4)
Education (% of GNI, 2020)	6.0	(4.6)

Note: The year is indicated in parenthesis if it deviates from the year in the main title of this table.

1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 80% of member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, International Labour Organisation, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, World Bank.