OECD Economic Surveys: Belgium 2024

Basic Statistics of Belgium, 2023

(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)¹

 

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE
Population (million)	11.8		Population density per km²	390.4	(39.2)
Under 15 (%)	16.3	(17.0)	Life expectancy at birth (years, 2022)	81.7	(79.6)
Over 65 (%)	20.1	(18.3)	Men (2022)	79.6	(77.0)
International migrant stock (% of population, 2019)	17.2	(13.2)	Women (2022)	83.9	(82.4)
Latest 5-year average growth (%)	0.7	(0.4)	Latest general election	June-2024
ECONOMY
Gross domestic product (GDP)			Value added shares (%)
In current prices (billion USD)	632.2		Agriculture, forestry and fishing	0.9	(2.8)
In current prices (billion EUR)	584.7		Industry including construction	20.5	(27.2)
Latest 5-year average real growth (%)	1.6	(1.6)	Services	78.6	(70.0)
Per capita (thousand USD PPP)²	70.5	(59.0)
GENERAL GOVERNMENT Per cent of GDP
Expenditure (OECD: 2022)	54.6	(42.8)	Gross financial debt (OECD: 2022)	108.8	(113.1)
Revenue (OECD: 2022)	50.1	(39.5)	Net financial debt (OECD: 2022)	77.8	(67.3)
EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS
Exchange rate (EUR per USD)	0.92		Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)
PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)	0.70		Chemicals	25.2
In per cent of GDP			Fuels	13.2
Exports of goods and services	86.7	(31.3)	Transportation	11.8
Imports of goods and services	87.6	(31.5)	Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)
Current account balance	-1.0	(-0.3)	Chemicals	23.6
Net international investment position	66.6		Fuels	17.1
			Machinery and electronics	13.8
LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION
Employment rate (aged 15 and over, %)	52.0	(58.0)	Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (aged 15 and over, %)	5.5	(4.8)
Men	55.9	(65.5)	Youth (aged 15-24, %)	16.0	(10.6)
Women	48.2	(50.8)	Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %, 2022)	2.3	(1.2)
Participation rate (aged 15 and over, %)	55.0	(60.9)	Tertiary educational attainment (aged 25-64, %, 2022)	45.8	(40.7)
Average hours worked per year (2022, OECD: 2023)	1 535	(1 742)	Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2021)	3.4	(2.9)
ENVIRONMENT
Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2022)	4.3	(3.8)	CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2022)	6.8	(7.8)
Renewables (%, 2022)	9.7	(12.0)	Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m³, 2021)	0.4
Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 g/m³ of PM 2.5, % of population, 2020)	87.3	(56.5)	Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2022)	0.7	(0.5)
SOCIETY
Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2021, OECD: latest available)	0.256	(0.315)	Education outcomes (PISA 2022 score)
Relative poverty rate (%, 2021, OECD: 2020)	7.8	(11.7)	Reading	479	(476)
Median disposable household income (thousand USD PPP, 2021, OECD: 2020)	37.1	(27.5)	Mathematics	489	(472)
Public and private spending (% of GDP)			Science	491	(485)
Health care (2022)	10.8	(9.2)	Share of women in parliament (%)	42.7	(32.8)
Pensions (2019)	11.8	(9.5)	Net official development assistance (% of GNI)	0.4	(0.4)
Education (total spending, 2020)	6.0	(5.1)

¹ The year is indicated in parenthesis if it deviates from the year in the main title of this table. 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.

² OECD aggregate refers to weighted average.

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.