2019 Edition

Background

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, political divisions 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.

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

Elevation

Highest Point

Botrange 694 m

Lowest Point

North Sea 0 m

Mean Elevation

181 m

Environment Current Issues

intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed But Not Ratified

none of the selected agreements

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 European Union and NATO

Irrigated Land

230 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

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

Total

1,297 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

44.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

27.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

16.1% (2011 est.)

Forest

22.4% (2011 est.)

Other

33.5% (2011 est.)

Location

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

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 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; approximately 97% live in urban areas

Terrain

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

Age Structure

0 14 Years

17.2% (male 1,019,427 /female 970,845)

15 24 Years

11.25% (male 664,789 /female 636,452)

25 54 Years

39.82% (male 2,323,488 /female 2,283,533)

55 64 Years

12.96% (male 742,842 /female 756,509)

65 Years And Over

18.78% (male 948,956 /female 1,223,921) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

11.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

66.8% (2013)

Current Health Expenditure

10% (2016)

Death Rate

9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

28 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

3.6 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

54.2 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

26.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

100% of population

Improved Total

100% of population

Improved Urban

100% of population

Unimproved Rural

0% of population

Unimproved Total

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0% of population

Education Expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

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

Hospital Bed Density

6.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

3 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

83.9 years

Male

78.6 years

Total Population

81.2 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

2.065 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.037 million Antwerp (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

42.7 years

Male

40.3 years

Total

41.5 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

28.6 years (2013 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Belgian

Noun

Belgian(s)

Net Migration Rate

5.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.1% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.32 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

11,570,762 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.67% (2018 est.)

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.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

99.4% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

99.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

99.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

0.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

0.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0.5% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

21 years (2016)

Male

19 years

Total

20 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.78 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.97 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.78 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

18% (2017 est.)

Male

20.2%

Total

19.3%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.62% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

98% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region 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), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

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

Geographic Coordinates

50 50 N, 4 20 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

Constitution

Amendments

"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; amended many times, last in 2014 (2016)

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

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.

Local Long Form

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

Local Short Form

Belgique/Belgie/Belgien

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Ronald GIDWITZ (since 4 July 2018)

Embassy

27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels

Fax

[32] (2) 811-4500

Mailing Address

PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710

Telephone

[32] (2) 811-4000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Dirk Jozef M. WOUTERS (since 16 September 2016)

Consulate's General

Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York

Fax

[1] (202) 333-3079

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); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH (daughter of the monarch, born 25 October 2001)

Elections Appointments

the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by Parliament

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Sophie WILMES (since 26 October 2019); Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander DE CROO (since 27 October 2019), Koen GEENS (27 October 2019), Didier REYNDERS (since 27 October 2019), David CLARINVAL (30 November 2019)

Flag Description

three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)

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, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

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; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senaat (in Dutch), Senat (in French) (60 seats; 50 members indirectly elected by the community and regional parliaments based on their election results, and 10 elected by the 50 other senators; members serve 5-year terms) Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers (in Dutch), Chambre des Representants (in French) (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition men 32, women 28, percent of women 46.7% Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.0%, VB 11.9%, PS 9.5%, CD&V 8.9%, PVDA+/PTB 8.62%, Open VLD 8.5%, MR 7.6%, SP.A 6.7%, Ecolo 6.1%, Groen 6.1%, CDH 3.7%, Defi 2.2%, PP 1.1%, other 20.1%; seats by party - N-VA 25, VB 18, PS 20, CD&V 12, PVDA+PTB 12, Open VLD 12, MR 14, SP.A 9, Ecolo 13, Groen 8, CDH 5, Defi 2; composition - men 86, women 64, percent of women 42.7%

Elections

Senate - last held 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024) Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); note - elections coincided with the EU elections

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French] Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT

Name

"La Brabanconne" (The Song of Brabant)

National Holiday

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

National Symbol S

golden rampant lion; national colors: red, black, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Wouter BEKE] Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Gwendolyn RUTTEN] Groen [Meyrem ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER] Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [John CROMBEZ] Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN] Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Marc NOLLET, Zakia KHATTABI] Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Olivier MAINGAIN] Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Maxine PREVOT] People's Party or PP [Mischael MODRIKAMEN] Reform Movement or MR [Charles MICHEL] Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO] Workers' Party or PTB [Peter MERTENS] other minor parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture Products

sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

Budget

Expenditures

258.6 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

253.5 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2010

0%

31 December 2017

0%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

2.02%

31 December 2017

2.08%

Current Account Balance

2016

$451 million

2017

-$807 million

Debt External

31 March 2015

$1.214 trillion

31 March 2016

$1.281 trillion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

1996

28.7

2013

25.9

Economy Overview

Belgium’s central geographic location and highly developed transport network have helped develop a well-diversified economy, with a broad mix of transport, services, manufacturing, and high tech. Service and high-tech industries are concentrated in the northern Flanders region while the southern region of Wallonia is home to industries like coal and steel manufacturing. Belgium is completely reliant on foreign sources of fossil fuels, and the planned closure of its seven nuclear plants by 2025 should increase its dependence on foreign energy. Its role as a regional logistical hub makes its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with EU trading partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries, and the port of Zeebrugge conducts almost half its trade with the United Kingdom alone, leaving Belgium’s economy vulnerable to the outcome of negotiations on the UK’s exit from the EU.Belgium’s GDP grew by 1.7% in 2017 and the budget deficit was 1.5% of GDP. Unemployment stood at 7.3%, however the unemployment rate is lower in Flanders than Wallonia, 4.4% compared to 9.4%, because of industrial differences between the regions. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist attacks that mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease Belgium's high public debt of about 104% of GDP, but such efforts would also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption.The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium’s competitiveness, including changes to labor market rules and welfare benefits. These changes have generally made Belgian wages more competitive regionally, but have raised tensions with trade unions, which have called for extended strikes. In 2017, Belgium approved a tax reform plan to ease corporate rates from 33% to 29% by 2018 and down to 25% by 2020. The tax plan also included benefits for innovation and SMEs, intended to spur competitiveness and private investment.

Exchange Rates

2013

0.7634

2014

0.885

2015

0.9214

2016

0.903

2017

0.885

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$277.7 billion

2017

$300.8 billion

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

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

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

85.1% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

23.4% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

51.2% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-84.4% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

23.3% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

1.3% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

0.7% (2017 est.)

Industry

22.1% (2017 est.)

Services

77.2% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$493.7 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$45,700

2016

$46,000

2017

$46,600

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$513 billion

2016

$520.2 billion

2017

$529.2 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

1.4%

2016

1.4%

2017

1.7%

Gross National Saving

2015

23.4% of GDP

2016

24% of GDP

2017

24.5% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

28.4% (2006)

Lowest 10

3.4%

Imports

2016

$273.4 billion

2017

$300.4 billion

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

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

Industrial Production Growth Rate

0.2% (2017 est.)

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

2016

1.8%

2017

2.2%

Labor Force

5.324 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

1.3%

Industry

18.6%

Services

80.1% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2013

$374.3 billion

31 December 2014

$378.5 billion

31 December 2015

$414.6 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

15.1% (2013 est.)

Public Debt

2016

106% of GDP

2017

103.4% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2015

$24.1 billion

31 December 2017

$26.16 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$198 billion

31 December 2017

$240.5 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$1.016 trillion

31 December 2017

$1.159 trillion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$1.054 trillion

31 December 2017

$1.035 trillion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$684.8 billion

31 December 2017

$711.3 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$198 billion

31 December 2017

$240.5 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

51.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

7.9%

2017

7.1%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

134.7 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

687,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

82.16 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

8.465 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

28% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

14.65 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

21.56 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

79.83 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

17.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

736.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

18.09 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

648,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

680,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

601,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

731,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

38 (2017 est.)

Total

4,378,973

Broadcast Media

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

Internet Country Code

.be

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

86.5% (July 2016 est.)

Total

9,870,734

Telephone System

Domestic

nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network; 37 per 100 fixed-line, 104 per 100 mobile-cellular (2018)

General Assessment

highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; LTE availability is nearly universal in mobile sector; ongoing investments in developing applications and services for 5G; consumer are interested in quad-play services (broadband +television +telephone +wireless services) which will mean MNOs (mobile network operators) are enhancing their fixed-line offerings (2018)

International

country code - 32; landing points for Concerto, UK-Belgium, Tangerine, and SeaMeWe-3, submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

37 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

4,251,564

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

104 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

11,961,089

Airports

41 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

2

2 438 To 3 047 M

9

914 To 1 523 M

1

Over 3 047 M

6

Total

26 (2019)

Under 914 M

8

Airports With Unpaved Runways

Total

15 (2013)

Under 914 M

15 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

OO (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 18, general cargo 18, oil tanker 20, other 136 (2018)

Total

192

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

1,464,316,900 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

11,193,023 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

117 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

7 (2015)

Pipelines

3139 km gas, 154 km oil, 535 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Container Port's Teus

Antwerp (10,450,000) (2017)

Lng Terminal's Import

Zeebrugge

Major Seaport S

Oostende, Zeebrugge

River Port S

Antwerp, Gent (Schelde River)

Railways

Standard Gauge

3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014)

Total

3,592 km (2014)

Roadways

Paved

118,414 km (includes 1,747 km of expressways) (2015)

Total

118,414 km (2015)

Waterways

2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)

Military And Security Forces

Belgian Armed Forces: Land Component, Naval Component, Air Component (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

0.98% of GDP

2015

0.92% of GDP

2016

0.91% of GDP

2017

0.9% of GDP

2018

0.93% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1994 (2012)

Disputes International

none

Illicit Drugs

growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees Country Of Origin

9,080 (Syria) (2018)

Stateless Persons

7,695 (2018)