Belgium

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

Land

30,278 sq km

Total

30,528 sq km

Water

250 sq km

about the size of Maryland

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

66.5 km

Europe

Highest point

Botrange 694 m

Lowest point

North Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

181 m

50 50 N, 4 00 E

crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the EU and NATO

57 sq km (2013)

Border countries

France 556 km; Germany 133 km; Luxembourg 130 km; Netherlands 478 km

number of neighbors

4

Total

1,297 km

Agricultural land

44.4% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 28.3% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 15.3% (2023 est.)

arable land

28.31%

Forest

22% (2023 est.)

Other

33.6% (2023 est.)

permanent crops

0.76%

No

Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Seine (78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Google Maps

https://goo.gl/maps/UQQzat85TCtPRXAL8

OpenStreetMap

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/52411

Europe

Contiguous zone

24 nm

Continental shelf

median line with neighbors

Exclusive economic zone

geographic coordinates define outer limit

Territorial sea

12 nm

flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land

most of the population is concentrated in the northern two thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world, with approximately 97% living in urban areas

Western Europe

flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast

UTC+01:00

number of time zones

1

0-14 years

16.9% (male 1,038,578/female 990,215)

15-64 years

62.8% (male 3,796,844/female 3,730,784)

65 years and over

20.2% (2024 est.) (male 1,073,635/female 1,347,578)

Beer

4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols

0.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits

1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Total

9.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine

3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

9.09 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Women married by age 15

0% (2020)

Women married by age 18

0.1% (2020)

1.9%

0.3% (2023 est.)

52.4% (2021 est.)

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

adult female

47 per 1,000

adult male

76 per 1,000

Elderly dependency ratio

32.6 (2025 est.)

Potential support ratio

3.1 (2025 est.)

Total dependency ratio

57.6 (2025 est.)

Youth dependency ratio

24.9 (2025 est.)

improved total

99.55%

Improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% GDP)

6.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

12% national budget (2022 est.)

6 % of GDP

Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)

0.71 (2025 est.)

11 % of GDP

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

11% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

0.1%

5.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

neonatal

2 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%

Major-language sample(s)

<br>Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)<br><br>The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

number of languages

3

Female

85 years

Male

79.7 years

Total population

82.3 years (2024 est.)

2.122 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.057 million Antwerp (2023)

4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Female

43.1 years

Male

40.8 years

Total

42.4 years (2025 est.)

29.2 years (2020 est.)

Adjective

Belgian

Noun

Belgian(s)

4.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

22.1% (2016)

6.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Female

6,052,672

Male

5,907,498

Total

11,960,170 (2025 est.)

0.45% (2025 est.)

Roman Catholic 57.1%, Protestant 2.3%, other Christian, 2.8%, Muslim 6.8%, other 1.7%, atheist 9.1%, nonbeliever/agnostic 20.2% (2018 est.)

improved total

94.9%

Improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Female

20 years (2022 est.)

Male

18 years (2022 est.)

Total

19 years (2022 est.)

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

At birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Female

22% (2025 est.)

Male

26.4% (2025 est.)

Total

24.1% (2025 est.)

1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Rate of urbanization

0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Urban population

98.2% of total population (2023)

measles

96%

3 regions (French: <em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>; Dutch: <em>gewesten</em>, singular - <em>gewest</em>); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), R<em>é</em>gion de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Région Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Région Wallonne (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)

note

<strong>note:</strong> as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities

Daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Etymology

the name is of Germanic origin, from <em>broca </em>(marsh) and <em>sali </em>(room or building)

Geographic coordinates

50 84 N, 4 35 E

Name

Brussels

Time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship by birth

no

Citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Belgium

Dual citizenship recognized

yes

Residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

svg

https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/be.svg

Amendment process

"revisions" proposed as declarations by the federal government in accord with the king or by Parliament followed by dissolution of Parliament and new elections; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in both houses of the next elected Parliament

History

drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)

alternative spellings

BE, België, Belgie, Belgien, Belgique, Kingdom of Belgium, Koninkrijk België, Royaume de Belgique, Königreich Belgien

Conventional long form

Kingdom of Belgium

Conventional short form

Belgium

Etymology

the name derives from the Belgae, an ancient Celtic tribal confederation that inhabited an area between the English Channel and the west bank of the Rhine in the first centuries B.C.

FIFA code

BEL

Local long form

Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)

local long form (deu)

Königreich Belgien

Local short form

Belgique/Belgie/Belgien

Chief of mission

Ambassador Bill WHITE (since 17 November 2025)

Email address and website

<br>uscitizenBrussels@state.gov<br><br>https://be.usembassy.gov/

Embassy

Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels

FAX

[32] (2) 811-4500

Mailing address

7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-7600

Telephone

[32] (2) 811-4000

Chancery

1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005

Chief of mission

Ambassador Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric BERNARD (since 25 February 2025)

Consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York

Email address and website

<br>Washington@diplobel.fed.be<br><br>https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en

FAX

[1] (202) 338-4960

Telephone

[1] (202) 333-6900

Cabinet

Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch

Chief of state

King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013)

Election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister, which the legislature approves

Head of government

Prime Minister Bart DE WEVER (since 3 February 2025)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of black (left side), yellow, and red<br><br><strong>history:</strong> the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are from the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

The flag of Belgium is composed of three equal vertical bands of black, yellow and red.

svg

https://flagcdn.com/be.svg

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Highest court(s)

Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)

Judge selection and term of office

Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life

Subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace

civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative structure

bicameral

Legislature name

Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)

Note

<strong>note:</strong> the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this results in six governments, each with its own legislative assembly

Chamber name

House of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)

Electoral system

proportional representation

Expected date of next election

June 2029

Most recent election date

6/9/2024

Number of seats

150 (all directly elected)

Parties elected and seats per party

New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) (24); Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) (20); Movement for Reform (MR) (20); Socialist Party in Wallonia (PS) (16); Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB*PVDA) (15); LES ENGAGÉS (14); Vooruit (13); Christian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V) (11); Other (17)

Percentage of women in chamber

41.3%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

Chamber name

Senate (Sénat - Senaat - Senat)

Expected date of next election

July 2029

Most recent election date

7/18/2024

Number of seats

60 (all indirectly elected)

Percentage of women in chamber

47.5%

Scope of elections

full renewal

Term in office

5 years

red, black, yellow

Selected World Heritage Site locales

Belfries of Belgium (c); Historic Brugge (c); The Grand Place, Brussels (c); Major Town Houses of Victor Horta (c); Notre-Dame Cathedral, Tournai (c); Spa, Liege (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Sonian Wood (n); Stoclet Palace (c)

Total World Heritage Sites

16 (15 cultural, 1 natural)

Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831)

golden rampant lion

<strong>Flemish parties:</strong> <br>Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&amp;V <br>Vooruit or Forward (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A)<br>Groen or Green (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)<br>New Flemish Alliance or N-VA <br>Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD <br>Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB <br><br><strong>Francophone parties:</strong> <br>Ecolo (Francophone Greens) <br>Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi <br>Les Engages (formerly Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH)<br>Movement for Reform or MR <br>Socialist Party or PS <br>Workers' Party or PVDA-PTB

Monday

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Yes

sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

On alcohol and tobacco

4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

On food

12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Expenditures

$235.767 billion (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Revenues

$220.657 billion (2022 est.)

code

EUR

name

euro (EUR) [€]

$-2,543,070,284

Current account balance 2022

-$7.031 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$4.503 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$5.679 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

<p>high-income, core EU and eurozone economy; slow growth with weakened domestic consumption and export demand; high public debt and structural deficits linked to social spending; aging workforce with weak productivity growth and participation rates</p>

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

$532.22 billion

Exports 2022

$565.233 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$542.508 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$525.458 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

net inflows

$-41,357,732,773

Exports of goods and services

84.2% (2023 est.)

Government consumption

23.8% (2023 est.)

Household consumption

50.4% (2023 est.)

Imports of goods and services

-84.8% (2023 est.)

Investment in fixed capital

24.4% (2023 est.)

Investment in inventories

1% (2023 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agriculture

0.8% (2024 est.)

Industry

17.6% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Services

72.1% (2024 est.)

$664.564 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

$56,615

27.2 (2018)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

26.4 (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

$682.33 billion

$55,290

24 % of GDP

Highest 10%

22.2% (2022 est.)

Lowest 10%

3.8% (2022 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

$534.8 billion

Imports 2022

$573.192 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$546.426 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$531.029 billion (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-0.6% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

3.14%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.6% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.1% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

5.416 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total

5.43 million persons

agriculture

0.98%

industry

19.25%

services

79.77%

12.3% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Note

<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

92.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

$871.78 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$732.865 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$741.672 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$749.229 billion (2024 est.)

1.07%

Note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1% (2024 est.)

$73,514

Note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$62,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$62,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$63,100 (2024 est.)

$15.48 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2022

2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

$41.45 billion

Note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$41.274 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$40.813 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$41.449 billion (2024 est.)

37 % of GDP

23 % of GDP

22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

5.91%

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

5.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

5.5% (2024 est.)

Female

14.7% (2024 est.)

Male

18.6% (2024 est.)

Note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Total

16.8% (2024 est.)

Consumption

4.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Exports

184,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Imports

4.046 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Production

1.269 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Proven reserves

4.1 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Consumption

74.537 billion kWh (2023 est.)

consumption per capita

6,932 kWh

Exports

18.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Imports

18.626 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity

28.248 million kW (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses

3.147 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Biomass and waste

6.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Fossil fuels

24.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectric

1.98%

Hydroelectricity

-0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) <b>note:</b> Belgium has negative net hydroelectric power generation based on losses from use of pumped storage hydropower

Nuclear

40.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

renewable

23.54%

Solar

9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Wind

20% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

4,051 kg of oil equivalent

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

190.416 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Consumption

14.382 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Exports

8.461 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Imports

23.007 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Production

12.938 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

3.46GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

3 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

4 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

41.2% (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption

596,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

Total petroleum production

11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

11.7%

per 100 inhabitants

44 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2023 est.)

Total

5.12 million (2023 est.)

a segmented market with the three major linguistic communities (Flemish-, French-, and German-speaking) each responsible for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community;&nbsp; over 90% of households are connected to cable and can access TV broadcasts from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters

.be

Percent of population

95% (2023 est.)

####

+32

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

2.49 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100

103 per 100

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

104 (2024 est.)

Total subscriptions

12.2 million (2024 est.)

passengers carried

11.39 million passengers

registered carrier departures

112,605 departures

48 (2025)

OO

Right

112 (2025)

By type

bulk carrier 17, container ship 2, general cargo 16, oil tanker 21, other 142

Total

198 (2023)

Key ports

Antwerpen, Bruxelles, Ghent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Large

1

Medium

2

Ports with oil terminals

5

Small

2

Total ports

7 (2024)

Very small

2

Total

3,602 km (2020) 3,160 km electrified

B

armored vehicles

tanks

the Belgian military's responsibilities include territorial defense, humanitarian/disaster relief, assistance to the police if required, international peacekeeping missions, and support to its NATO and EU security commitments, which Belgium considers vital components of its national security policy; outside of the country, the military operates almost always within an international organization or a coalition; Belgium was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) establishing NATO in 1949; it hosts the NATO headquarters in Brussels; Belgium also cooperates bilaterally with neighboring countries, such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands, in conducting joint patrols of their respective air spaces and in a composite combined special operations command with Denmark and the Netherlands (2025)

Belgian Armed Forces (Defensie or La Défense): Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Component, Cyber Command (2025)

active duty personnel

24,000

note

<strong>note: </strong>the Belgian Federal Police is the national police force and responsible for internal security and nationwide law and order, including migration and border enforcement

percent of total labor force

0.47 %

approximately 23,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

has on average about 1,000 personnel deployed on foreign missions, including more than 300 ground forces deployed in Eastern Europe for the defense of NATO's eastern flank (2025)

the armed forces have a mix of weapons systems from European suppliers and the US; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2025)

1 % of GDP

current USD

$8,561,520,106

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

2% of GDP (2025 est.)

percent of central government expenditure

2.36 %

percent of GDP

1.28 % of GDP

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; maximum age varies by position; conscription abolished in 1995 (2025)

note

<strong>note 1:</strong> in 2024, women comprised about 11% of the military's full-time personnel<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> foreign nationals 18-34 years of age who speak Dutch or French and are citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland may apply to join the military

PowerIndex score

1.2201

USG identification

<br>major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees

236,689 (2024 est.)

Stateless persons

849 (2024 est.)

1986 - joined first European Earth Observation program; founding member of European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites<br><br>1992 - first Belgian astronaut in space on the US Space Shuttle<br><br>2001 - first remote sensing satellite (PROBA-1) launched by India<br><br>2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration

Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy-Interfederal Space Agency of Belgium (BIRA-IASB; established 1964; IASB added 2017); Belgium Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) (2025)

builds satellites, particularly research/science/technology and remote sensing platforms; researches, develops, and produces a wide variety of space technologies, including telecommunications, optics, robotics, scientific instruments, and space launch vehicle components; founding member of the ESA and participates in a variety of ESA and EU projects, such as Space Surveillance and Tracking, Copernicus Earth observation, and Galileo global navigation satellite system; hosts the European Space Security and Education Center (established 1968); participates in international astronomy efforts, particularly through the European Southern Observatory (ESO); has worked with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities outside Europe, including those of Argentina, China, India, Russia, South Africa, UAE, Vietnam, and the US (2025)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

From coal and metallurgical coke

8.166 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From consumed natural gas

27.282 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids

76.635 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Total emissions

112.083 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

urbanization; possible risks from industry and intensive farming; air and water pollution

Global geoparks and regional networks

Famenne-Ardenne; Schelde Delta (includes Netherlands) (2024)

Total global geoparks and regional networks

2 (2024)

Party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

19 % of total land area

22 % of total

18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

36 % of internal resources

Agricultural

41.97 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Industrial

4.14 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal

740.19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually

4.766 million tons (2024 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled

31.7% (2022 est.)