
Food Finance
The new frontiers in banking include mobile payments, blockchain, inclusion and … agriculture?
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Belgium economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Belgium best banks and safest banks are also available.
The Global Finance ranking of World's Safest Countries incorporates three measures of security and safety, factoring natural disaster risk with measures of peace and crime.
USD 26.9 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
USD 533.2 billion (2018, estimate)
Intl$ 550.5 billion (2018, estimate)
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
3.4% | 0.8% | -2.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | ||
1.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
*Estimate
USD 46,724.4 (2018, estimate)
(2016 estimate)
2.6% (2017)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
0.6% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
8.5% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 6% | 5.5% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
106.3% | 106.1% | 103.4% | 102% | 101% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
-2.4% | -2.4% | -0.8% | 0.7% | -1.3% |
*Estimate
Standard & Poor's: AA
Moody's: Aa3
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 378.1 billion | USD 437.8 billion | USD 321.1 billion |
*Estimate
Anheuser-Busch InBev, KBC Group, Ageas, Solvay, Dexia, UCB, Umicore, Colruyt, Proximus, Sofina
-1.3 % (2018 estimate)
87.9% (2018)
2.40% (2018)
2.10% (2018)
Chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
Raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products
Germany 16.6%, France 14.9%, Netherlands 12%, UK 8.4%, Italy 4.9%, US 4.8% (2017)
Netherlands 17.3%, Germany 13.8%, France 9.5%, US 7.1%, UK 4.9%, Ireland 4.2%, China 4.1% (2017)
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 50,987 million | USD -5,763 million | USD 4,873 million |
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 20,974 million | USD 24,201 million | USD 6,910 million |
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
USD 5,590 million | USD 101,060 million | USD -8,771 million | USD 410 million |
Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Oriental Brewery Co Ltd, Korea, Republic of, USD 5.8 billion
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
Solvay SA, Cytec Industries Inc, United States, USD 5.5 billion
(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )
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
22 out of 141 countries
World Economic Forum - The Global Competitiveness Index 2019
Ranking: 48 / Score: 67.3 (Moderately free)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%
1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
9.948 million | 10.239 million | 10.84 million | 11.332 million | 11.93 million |
*Estimate
1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
93% | 95% | 97% | 98% |
27.6 (2012)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1 (2014)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)
Fixed 40.14% Mobile 115.69% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)