2020 Edition

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.

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

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

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.)

forest

22% (2023 est.)

other

33.6% (2023 est.)

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 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

Terrain

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

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 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.)

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: 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.)

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

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

11% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

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

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.

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: 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)

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)

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

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

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 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)

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)

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 anthem(s)

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

title

"La Brabançonne" (The Song of Brabant)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

sugar beets, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, maize, chicken, barley, pears (2023)

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.)

revenues

$220.657 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance

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.)

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

Exports 2022

$565.233 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$542.508 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$525.458 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, vaccines, cars, packaged medicine (2023)

Exports - partners

France 20%, Netherlands 15%, Germany 14%, Italy 6%, USA 5% (2023)

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.8% (2024 est.)

industry

17.6% (2024 est.)

services

72.1% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$664.564 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

26.4 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22.2% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

3.8% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$573.192 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$546.426 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$531.029 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, natural gas, vaccines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)

Imports - partners

Netherlands 20%, Germany 13%, France 11%, USA 7%, Ireland 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (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

Inflation rate (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.)

Labor force

5.416 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.3% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2022

92.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

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

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

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

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

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.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

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.)

total

16.8% (2024 est.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

solar

9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

20% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

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.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

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.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

2.49 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

104 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

12.2 million (2024 est.)

Airports

48 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OO

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

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)

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

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 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)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

236,689 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

849 (2024 est.)

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)

Terrorist group(s)

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

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.)

Total renewable water resources

18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

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.)