Source
Central bank

National Bank of Belgium

International Reserves

USD 33.30 billion (2020)
World Bank, last updated 12/16/2021

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 581.85 billion (2021 estimate)
IMF - World Economic Outlook, October 2021

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 550.5 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
1.6% 1.8% 1.8% –6.3% 5.6%*

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 50,412.71 (2021 estimate)
IMF - World Economic Outlook, October 2021

GDP per capita - PPP

USD 55,919.13 (2021 estimate)
IMF - World Economic Outlook, October 2021

GDP (PPP) - share of world total

0.45% (2021 estimate)
IMF - World Economic Outlook, October 2021

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 0.7% 
  • industry: 19.2% 
  • services: 69.6%

(2016 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

3.2% (2019)
OECD, retrieved January 2022

 

Inflation
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021*
2.2% 2.3% 1.2% 0.4%* 2.4%*
Unemployment rate
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021*
7.1% 6.0% 5.4% 5.6%* 6.3%*
Household saving rates

13.9% (2020)
OECD, retrieved January 2022

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
102% 99.8% 98.1% 114.1% 113.4%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021*
1.4% 1.0% -0.2% -7.7% -5.6%

*Estimate

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AA

Moody's: Aa3

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (January 2022)

Market value of publicly traded shares

USD 321.1 billion (2018) World Bank / Market capitalization

Largest companies

KBC Group, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Ageas, UCB, Solvay, Umicore, Sofina, Colruyt, Proximus
Forbes Global 2000 (2021)

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD -7.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-1.3 % (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

87.9% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export

2.40% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export

2.10% (2018)

Total exports

USD 465.6 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs

Total imports

USD 470.5 billion (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products

Exports - major partners

Germany 16.6%, France 14.9%, Netherlands 12%, UK 8.4%, Italy 4.9%, US 4.8% (2017)

Imports - major partners

Netherlands 17.3%, Germany 13.8%, France 9.5%, US 7.1%, UK 4.9%, Ireland 4.2%, China 4.1% (2017)

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 50,987 million USD -5,763 million USD 4,873 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 20,974 million USD 24,201 million USD 6,910 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2015 2016 2017 2018
USD 5,590 million USD 101,060 million USD -8,771 million USD 410 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Oriental Brewery Co Ltd, Korea, Republic of, USD 5.8 billion

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

Solvay SA, Cytec Industries Inc, United States, USD 5.5 billion

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

46 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 48 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 45 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 108 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 139 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 67 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 45 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 63 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 1 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 56 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 9 out of 190 countries
World Bank - Doing Business 2019

Global competitiveness ranking

22 out of 141 countries

World Economic Forum - The Global Competitiveness Index 2019

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 48 / Score: 67.3 (Moderately free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+1

Total area

30,528 sq km 

Capital

Brussels

Currency

Euros (EUR)

Government type

Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Languages

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

Religions

Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015* 2020*
9.95 million 10.24 million 10.84 million 11.24 million 11.52 million

*Estimate 

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
92.5% 95.4% 97.1% 98%
Population median age

41.5  years 

Population growth rate

0.67% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

81.2 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

N/A

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

0.2% (last available estimate, 2015)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

27.7 (last available estimate, 2015)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Free
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1 (2019)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed: 35.8% Mobile: 103.4% (2018) 
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

88.66 % (2018)

Mercer Cost of living index

Brussels: 77th (2019)

CO2 emissions

8.33 metric tons per capita (2014)

World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks

World's Best Internet Banks

World’s Best Treasury & Cash Management Providers

World's Best Subcustodian Banks

World’s Best Investment Banks

World's Safest

World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers

World's Best Banks By Region

World's Best Banks

2011

World’s Best Trade Finance Banks

Best of…

World's Biggest Banks

Additional Awards