2021 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

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% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 16.1% (2018 est.)

forest

22.4% (2018 est.)

other

33.5% (2018 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 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

17.22% (male 1,033,383/female 984,624)

15-24 years

11.2% (male 670,724/female 642,145)

25-54 years

39.23% (male 2,319,777/female 2,278,450)

55-64 years

13.14% (male 764,902/female 775,454)

65 years and over

19.21% (male 988,148/female 1,263,109) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1% (2014/15)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.7% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

10.3% (2018)

Death rate

9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.2

potential support ratio

3.3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

57

youth dependency ratio

26.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

6.4% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

5.6 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

3.68 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare 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

84.4 years (2021 est.)

male

79.02 years

total population

81.65 years

Major urban areas - population

2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

42.8 years (2020 est.)

male

40.4 years

total

41.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.2 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Belgian

noun

Belgian(s)

Net migration rate

4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2016)

Physicians density

3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

11,778,842 (July 2021 est.)

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

Population growth rate

0.59% (2021 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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

21 years (2019)

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

0.99 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 (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

15.1% (2020 est.)

male

15.5%

total

15.3%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

98.1% of total population (2021)

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)

note

note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

may derive from the Old Dutch "bruoc/broek," meaning "marsh" and "sella/zele/sel" signifying "home" to express the meaning "home in the marsh"

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 2019

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 (vacant); Nicholas BERLINER (since 20 January 2021)

email address and website

uscitizenBrussels@state.govhttps://be.usembassy.gov/

embassy

27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], 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 Jean-Arthur REGIBEAU (since 17 September 2020)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

Washington@diplobel.fed.behttps://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); 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 Alexander DE CROO (since 1 October 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Vincent Van Quickenborne (since 1 October 2020), Sophie Wilmes (since 1 October 2020), Vincent Van Peteghem (since 1 October 2020), Frank Vandenbroucke (since 1 October 2020), Pierre-Yves Dermagne (since 1 October 2020), Petra De Sutter (since 1 October 2020), Georges Gilkinet (since 1 October 2020)

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 33, women 27, percent of women 45%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%; note - overall Parliament percent of women 43.8%

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

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 reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"La Brabanconne" (The Song of Brabant)

note

note: adopted 1830; according to legend, Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater in which the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe

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 [Joachim COENS]Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Egbert LACHAERT]Groen or Green [Meyrem ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]Forward [Conner ROUSSEAU] (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A)Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN]Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Marc NOLLET, Rajae MAOUANE]Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Francois DE SMET]Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Maxine PREVOT]People's Party or PP [Mischael MODRIKAMEN] (dissolved 18 June 2019)Reform Movement or MR [George-Louis BOUCHEZ]Socialist Party or PS [Paul MAGNETTE]Workers' Party or PTB [Peter MERTENS]other minor parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

sugar beet, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, poultry, maize, barley, pears

Budget

expenditures

258.6 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

253.5 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2016)

Moody's rating

Aa3 (2011)

Standard & Poors rating

AA (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$4.135 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$1.843 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$1,332,358,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$1,317,513,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic 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

currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

0.885 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.87789 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.90338 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.82771 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$451.25 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$436.3 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$414.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 13%, United Kingdom 8%, United States 6%, Italy 5% (2019)

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)

$533.028 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1996

28.7 (1996)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

27.4 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.4% (2006)

lowest 10%

3.4%

Imports

Imports 2018

$452.53 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$433.04 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$412.85 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019)

Imports - partners

Netherlands 16%, Germany 13%, France 10%, United States 8%, Ireland 5%, China 5% (2019)

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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

2.1% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.4% (2019 est.)

Labor force

4.122 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.3%

industry

18.6%

services

80.1% (2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

14.8% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; general government debt is defined by the Maastricht definition and calculated by the National Bank of Belgium as consolidated gross debt; the debt is defined in European Regulation EC479/2009 concerning the implementation of the protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) of 7 February 1992; the sub-sectors of consolidated gross debt are: federal government, communities and regions, local government, and social security funds

Public debt 2016

106% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

103.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$584.05 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$594.47 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$557.11 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

1.9% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

1.49% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.41% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$51,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$51,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$48,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015

$24.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$26.16 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

51.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

5.96% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

5.36% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

15.1% (2020 est.)

male

15.5%

total

15.3%

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 - 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.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

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

40.85 (2020 est.)

total

4,734,210 (2020)

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

91.52% (2020 est.)

total

10.57 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

34 per 100 fixed-line, 100 per 100 mobile-cellular; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network (2020)

general assessment

Belgium has a highly developed, technologically advanced telecom system; LTE is nearly universal; ongoing investment in 5G with services to dozens of cities and towns; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; 5G; operators accelerating fiber roll-out program; Brussels Airport collaborating with operator to deploy 5G and IoT solutions; international connections through satellite and submarine cables; importer of broadcast equipment from EU neighbors (2020)

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)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31.36 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,634,639 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

99.48 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

11,529,728 (2020)

Airports

total

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

under 914 m

8 (2019)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

15

under 914 m

15 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OO

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 19, container ship 7, general cargo 16, oil tanker 21, other 138 (2021)

total

201

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1,285,340,000 mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

13,639,487 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

117

number of registered air carriers

7 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Antwerp (11,860,204) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Zeebrugge

major seaport(s)

Oostende, Zeebrugge

note

Brussels (Senne River) Liege (Meuse River)

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 - note

Belgium is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020

Military and security forces

Belgian Armed Forces: Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Service (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Belgian Armed Forces have approximately 26,000 active duty personnel (11,000 Land Component; 1,500 Marine Component; 5,000 Air Force Component; 1,500 Medical Service; 7,000 other, including joint staff, support, and training schools) (2020)

Military deployments

125 France (contributing member of EuroCorps); 100 Mali (EUTM/MINUSMA); 200 Lithuania (NATO) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Belgian Armed Forces have a mix of weapons systems from European countries, Israel, and the US; since 2010, several European nations are the leading suppliers of armaments; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

0.89% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

0.88% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.89% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.89% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.07% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1995 (2021)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

a primary entry point for cocaine smuggled into Europe; also a transit point for precursor chemicals from China for amphetamine and MDMA production labs in Belgium; a transit country for new psychoactive substances (NPS); increasing number of amphetamine and ecstasy production labs in Belgium; heroin also transits through Belgium.

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

16,693 (Syria), 5,515 (Iraq) (2020)

stateless persons

1,264 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

96.89 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.78 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy

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-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

Land use

agricultural land

44.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 16.1% (2018 est.)

forest

22.4% (2018 est.)

other

33.5% (2018 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Seine 78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

45 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

3.21 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

739 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

98.1% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.708 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

1,614,985 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

34.3% (2015 est.)