2025 Edition Primary

Edition Builder

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Countries

267

Data Records

89,153

Belgium

2025 Edition · 436 data fields

View Current Profile

Introduction

Background

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 30,278 sq km
Total: 30,528 sq km
Water: 250 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of Maryland

Climate

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

Coastline

66.5 km

Continent

Europe

Elevation

Highest point: Botrange 694 m
Lowest point: North Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 181 m

Geographic coordinates

50 50 N, 4 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

57 sq km (2013)

Land boundaries

Border countries: France 556 km; Germany 133 km; Luxembourg 130 km; Netherlands 478 km
number of neighbors: 4
Total: 1,297 km

Land use

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%

Landlocked

Location

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Seine (78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/UQQzat85TCtPRXAL8
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/52411

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: median line with neighbors
Exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land

Population distribution

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

Subregion

Western Europe

Terrain

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

Time zone

UTC+01:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

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.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

Women married by age 15: 0% (2020)
Women married by age 18: 0.1% (2020)

Children under 5 years underweight

1.9%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.3% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.4% (2021 est.)

Death rate

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 47 per 1,000
adult male: 76 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

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.)

Drinking water source

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

Education expenditure (% GDP): 6.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 12% national budget (2022 est.)

Education expenditures

6 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.71 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1%

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages: Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%
Major-language sample(s): Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
number of languages: 3

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 85 years
Male: 79.7 years
Total population: 82.3 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

Female: 43.1 years
Male: 40.8 years
Total: 42.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Belgian
Noun: Belgian(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2016)

Physician density

6.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

Female: 6,052,672
Male: 5,907,498
Total: 11,960,170 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.45% (2025 est.)

Religions

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.)

Sanitation facility access

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female: 20 years (2022 est.)
Male: 18 years (2022 est.)
Total: 19 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

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.)

Tobacco use

Female: 22% (2025 est.)
Male: 26.4% (2025 est.)
Total: 24.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 98.2% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 96%

Government

Administrative divisions

3 regions (French: régions, singular - région; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Région 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: note: 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

Capital

Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: the name is of Germanic origin, from broca (marsh) and sali (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

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

Coat of arms

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

Constitution

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)

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador Bill WHITE (since 17 November 2025)
Email address and website: uscitizenBrussels@state.gov 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  20521-7600
Telephone: [32] (2) 811-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005
Chief of mission: Ambassador Frédéric BERNARD (since 25 February 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: Washington@diplobel.fed.be https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en
FAX: [1] (202) 338-4960
Telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900

Executive branch

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)

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of black (left side), yellow, and red history: 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)

Flag description

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

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/be.svg

Government type

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Independence

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

Legislative structure: bicameral
Legislature name: Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)
Note: note: 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

Legislative branch - lower chamber

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

Legislative branch - upper chamber

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

National color(s)

red, black, yellow

National heritage

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)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

golden rampant lion

Political parties

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

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco: 4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On food: 12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures: $235.767 billion (2022 est.)
Note: note: 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.)

Currency

code: EUR
name: euro (EUR) [€]

Current account balance

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

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

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.)

Exports

$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: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $-41,357,732,773

GDP - composition, by end use

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 0.8% (2024 est.)
Industry: 17.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 72.1% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$664.564 billion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$56,615

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

27.2 (2018)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 26.4 (2022 est.)
Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$682.33 billion

GNI per capita

$55,290

Gross domestic investment

24 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 22.2% (2022 est.)
Lowest 10%: 3.8% (2022 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$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: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (2024 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

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: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

5.416 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 5.43 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 0.98%
industry: 19.25%
services: 79.77%

Population below poverty line

12.3% (2022 est.)
note: note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2022: 92.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$871.78 billion
Note: note: 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.)

Real GDP growth rate

1.07%
Note: note: 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.)

Real GDP per capita

$73,514
Note: note: 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.)

Remittances

$15.48 billion
Note: note: 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.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$41.45 billion
Note: note: 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.)

Revenue (excl grants)

37 % of GDP

Tax revenue

23 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

5.91%
Note: note: % 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.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 14.7% (2024 est.)
Male: 18.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 16.8% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

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.)

Electricity

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.)

Electricity access

Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

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.) note: 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.)

Energy consumption per capita

4,051 kg of oil equivalent
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 190.416 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

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.)

Nuclear energy

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.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 596,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

11.7%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 44 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2023 est.)
Total: 5.12 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

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;  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

Internet country code

.be

Internet users

Percent of population: 95% (2023 est.)

Postal code format

####

Telephone calling code

+32

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 2.49 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 103 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 104 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 12.2 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 11.39 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 112,605 departures

Airports

48 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Right

Heliports

112 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type: bulk carrier 17, container ship 2, general cargo 16, oil tanker 21, other 142
Total: 198 (2023)

Ports

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

Railways

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

Vehicle registration code

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

Military - note

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)

Military and security forces

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: note: 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 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military deployments

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)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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)

Military expenditures

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

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; maximum age varies by position; conscription abolished in 1995 (2025)
note: note 1: in 2024, women comprised about 11% of the military's full-time personnel note 2: 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

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 1.2201

Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Refugees: 236,689 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 849 (2024 est.)

Space

Key space-program milestones

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

Space agency/agencies

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)

Space program overview

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)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

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.)

Environmental issues

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

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Famenne-Ardenne; Schelde Delta (includes Netherlands) (2024)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 2 (2024)

International environmental agreements

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

Particulate matter emissions

12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

19 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

22 % of total

Total renewable water resources

18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

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.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.766 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 31.7% (2022 est.)