Belgium
Belgium⌘K
Overview
- 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
- Water
- 250 sq km
- Total
- 30,528 sq km
- Climate
- temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
- Terrain
- flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Land Use
- Other
- 33.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 22% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- Location
- Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
- Coastline
- 66.5 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- North Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Botrange 694 m
- Mean elevation
- 181 m
- Irrigated land
- 57 sq km (2013)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 1,297 km
- Border countries
- France 556 km; Germany 133 km; Luxembourg 130 km; Netherlands 478 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- median line with neighbors
- Exclusive economic zone
- geographic coordinates define outer limit
- Natural hazards
- flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
- 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
- Natural resources
- construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land
- Area comparative
- about the size of Maryland
- Geographic coordinates
- 50 50 N, 4 00 E
- 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
Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)
- Atlantic ocean drainage
- Seine (78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
People & Society
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.
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.8 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 9.09 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 40.8 years
- Total
- 42.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 43.1 years
Population
- Male
- 5,907,498
- Total
- 11,960,170 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 6,052,672
Nationality
- Noun
- Belgian(s)
- Adjective
- Belgian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 26.4% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 24.1% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 22% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 98.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 0% (2020)
- Women married BY age 18
- 0.1% (2020)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 57.6 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24.9 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.1 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 32.6 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 6.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 11% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 4.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 5.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- 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.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.45% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.71 (2025 est.)
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 79.7 years
- Female
- 85 years
- Total population
- 82.3 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- 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.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 9.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 2.122 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.057 million Antwerp (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 22.1% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 29.2 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 52.4% (2021 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 0.3% (2023 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 18 years (2022 est.)
- Total
- 19 years (2022 est.)
- Female
- 20 years (2022 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- 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)
Capital
- Name
- Brussels
- Etymology
- the name is of Germanic origin, from broca (marsh) and sali (room or building)
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- Geographic coordinates
- 50 84 N, 4 35 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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
Constitution
- History
- drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)
- 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
Country Name
- 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.
- Local long form
- Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)
- Local short form
- Belgique/Belgie/Belgien
- Conventional long form
- Kingdom of Belgium
- Conventional short form
- Belgium
- Independence
- 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
- Legal system
- civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts
- Government type
- federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
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)
- Subordinate courts
- Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace
- 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
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch
- Chief of state
- King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Bart DE WEVER (since 3 February 2025)
- 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
- National holiday
- Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831)
- National color(s)
- red, black, yellow
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 16 (15 cultural, 1 natural)
- 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)
- 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
Legislative Branch
- 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
- Legislature name
- Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)
- Legislative structure
- bicameral
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "La Brabançonne" (The Song of Brabant)
- History
- adopted 1830; according to legend Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater where the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe
- Lyrics/music
- Louis-Alexandre DECHET [French] and Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT
- National symbol(s)
- golden rampant lion
- 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)
Legislative Branch Lower Chamber
- Chamber name
- House of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 150 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 6/9/2024
- Expected date of next election
- June 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 41.3%
- 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)
Legislative Branch Upper Chamber
- Chamber name
- Senate (Sénat - Senaat - Senat)
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 60 (all indirectly elected)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Most recent election date
- 7/18/2024
- Expected date of next election
- July 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 47.5%
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 338-4960
- Chancery
- 1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 333-6900
- 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
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [32] (2) 811-4500
- Embassy
- Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
- Telephone
- [32] (2) 811-4000
- Mailing address
- 7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC 20521-7600
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Bill WHITE (since 17 November 2025)
- Email address and website
uscitizenBrussels@state.gov
https://be.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
BELGIUM · LOWER HOUSE
House of Representatives
150 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
150
Majority line
76
Largest party
New Flemish Alliance (N-VA)
Parties
12
All political parties
Upper house
BELGIUM · UPPER HOUSE
Senate
60 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
60
Majority line
31
Largest party
Belgian Socialist Party
Parties
21
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Philippe of Belgium
- Head of State
Bart De Wever
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- 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.)
- Expenditures
- $235.767 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $532.2B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $565.233 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $542.508 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $525.458 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $534.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $573.192 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $546.426 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $531.029 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
- Labor force
- 5.416 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 107.9%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2022
- 92.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances
- 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.)
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.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.9%
- 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.)
- Exports partners
- France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $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.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.0%
- 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.)
- Agricultural products
- sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)
- Exports commodities
- refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)
- Imports commodities
- cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$2.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $664.564 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 50.4% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 23.8% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 1% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 24.4% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 84.2% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -84.8% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 12.3% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.0%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- 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.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -0.6% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $749.229 billion (2024 est.)
- 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.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 18.6% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 16.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 14.7% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 17.6% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 72.1% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 0.8% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.8% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 22.2% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 26.4 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 184,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 4.046 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 1.269 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 4.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 4.1 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 596,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 18.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 18.626 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 74.537 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 28.248 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 3.147 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 8.461 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 23.007 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 12.938 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 14.382 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Nuclear Energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors
- 4 (2025)
- Percent of total electricity production
- 41.2% (2023 est.)
- Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
- 3.46GW (2025 est.)
- Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
- 3 (2025)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 190.416 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 20% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Nuclear
- 40.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 24.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- 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
- Biomass and waste
- 6.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 95% (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
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 2.49 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 21 (2024 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 12.2 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 104 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 5.12 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 44 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 1
- Small
- 2
- Medium
- 2
- Key ports
- Antwerpen, Bruxelles, Ghent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
- Very small
- 2
- Total ports
- 7 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 5
- Airports
- 48 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 3,602 km (2020) 3,160 km electrified
- Heliports
- 112 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 198 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 17, container ship 2, general cargo 16, oil tanker 21, other 142
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- OO
Environment
- Climate
- temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Famenne-Ardenne; Schelde Delta (includes Netherlands) (2024)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 2 (2024)
Land Use
- Other
- 33.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 22% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 98.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 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.)
- Environmental issues
- urbanization; possible risks from industry and intensive farming; air and water pollution
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 740.19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 4.14 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 41.97 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 112.083 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 27.282 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 8.166 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 76.635 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & Security
- 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 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 Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2% of GDP (2025 est.)
- 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.)
- Military and security forces
- Belgian Armed Forces (Defensie or La Défense): Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Component, Cyber Command (2025)
- 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)
- 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 and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 23,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Space
- 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)
- 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
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.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index81.0 / 100as of 2024-Q416 / 190+1.02024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.81as of 2024-Q410 / 170+0.032024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (79/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.942as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index73 / 100as of 202316 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Belgium — vintage 2026-Q1: Belgium factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/belgium
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata