2023 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 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

44.1% (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

17.03% (male 1,038,921/female 990,288)

15-64 years

63.06% (male 3,788,406/female 3,724,202)

65 years and over

19.91% (2023 est.) (male 1,049,402/female 1,322,414)

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

10.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1% (2014/15)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

66.7% (2018)

Current health expenditure

11.1% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

43.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.4

potential support ratio

3.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.5

youth dependency ratio

26.1

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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2020 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

0.86 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.6 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

84.8 years

male

79.5 years

total population

82.1 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

2.122 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.057 million Antwerp (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

43 years

male

40.7 years

total

41.9 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Belgian

noun

Belgian(s)

Net migration rate

4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.1% (2016)

Physicians density

6.08 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

11,913,633 (2023 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

0.55% (2023 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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

20 years (2020)

male

18 years

total

19 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

21% (2020 est.)

male

25.8% (2020 est.)

total

23.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (2023 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: 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 Michael ADLER (since 15 March 2022)

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), 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), David CLARINVAL (since 15 July 2022)

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, 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; 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 - N-VA 15%, VB 12%, PS 12%, MR 12%, CD&V 8.3%, Open VLD 8.3%, Ecolo 15%, SP.A 6.7%, CDH 3.3%, PVDA-PTB 8.3%; seats by party - N-VA 9, VB 7, PS 7, MR 7, CD&V 5, Open VLD 5, Ecolo 9, SP.A 4, CDH 2, PVDA-PTB 5; composition as of August 2023 - men 33, women 27, percent of women 45%Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.7%, VB 12%, PS 13.3%, CD&V 8%, PVDA-PTB 8%, Open VLD 8%, MR 9.3%, SP.A 6%, Ecolo 8.7%, Green 5.3%, CDH 3.3%, Defi 1.3%; 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, Green 8, CDH 5, Defi 2; composition as of August 2023 - men 86, women 64, percent of women 42.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 43.3%

elections

Senate - last held 26 May 2019 (next to be held 0n 31 July 2024) Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 May 2019 (next to be held on 31 May 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] and 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 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

15 (14 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; national colors: red, black, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Sammy MAHDI]Forward [Melissa DEPRAETERE] (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A)Groen or Green [Nadia NAJI and Jeremie VANEECKHOUT] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Egbert LACHAERT]Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN]Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Marc NOLLET and Rajae MAOUANE]Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Francois DE SMET]Les Engages [Maxime PREVOT] (formerly Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH)Reform Movement or MR [George-Louis BOUCHEZ]Socialist Party or PS [Paul MAGNETTE]Workers' Party or PVDA-PTB [Raoul HEDEBOUW]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

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

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

13.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$277.492 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$267.105 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2016)

Moody's rating

Aa3 (2011)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$507.275 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$5.702 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$2.917 billion (2021 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

high income economy with strong but moderate growth; high public debt; aging labor force; low labor force participation of low-skilled, migrant, and older workers; strong welfare system; high congestion; complex business permitting and judicial systems

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$441.566 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$417.222 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$515.625 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

vaccines and cultures, cars, packaged medicines, refined petroleum, diamonds, natural gas (2021)

note

note: Belgian amphetamine production and MDMA (ecstasy) production remain significant illicit trade commodities

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 2019

27.2 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.4% (2006)

lowest 10%

3.4%

Imports

Imports 2019

$438.221 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$408.343 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$509.018 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

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

1.28% (2021 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) 2019

1.44% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.74% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.44% (2021 est.)

Labor force

5.24 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

14.8% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover general government debt and include 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 2018

101.39% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

103.38% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

119.43% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$597.165 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$565.149 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$599.814 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.24% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.36% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

6.13% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$52,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$49,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$51,700 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$28.97 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$33.296 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$41.872 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.97% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.36% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

5.55% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

6.42% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

20.4%

male

18.9%

total

19.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

10.301 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

34.472 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

83.474 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

128.247 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

4.167 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

504,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

3.467 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

1.105 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

81,171,300,000 kWh (2020 est.)

exports

14.053 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

13.394 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

26.929 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.444 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

7.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

33.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

38.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

5.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

15% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

234.216 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

18.17 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

3.943 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

22.61 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

3.93GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2

Number of operational nuclear reactors

5 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

50.8% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

71% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

666,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

642,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

11,400 bbl/day (2021 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

41 (2020 est.)

total

4,734,210 (2020 est.)

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% (2021 est.)

total

10.92 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

about 28 per 100 fixed-line and 101 per 100 mobile-cellular; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network (2021)

general assessment

mobile networks have been upgraded to support growing mobile data use among subscribers, with near-comprehensive LTE coverage; operators have also trialed 5G in preparation for launching services; the auction of 5G-suitable spectrum has been delayed to the beginning of 2022, while the onerous restrictions on radiation have meant that some 5G trials have been suspended; there is effective competition in Belgium between the DSL and cable platforms, while in recent years government support has also encouraged investment in fiber networks; in a bid to encourage investment in under served areas, the regulator in 2018 amended the conditions by which market players grant wholesale access to copper and fiber infrastructure; in May 2019 it opened a further consultation on cost models for access to the networks of cablecos and fiber infrastructure (2021)

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

28 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

3,293,420 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

101 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

11,740,118 (2021 est.)

Airports

41 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

5

joint use (civil-military) airports

2

military airports

5

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

14

total

26

Airports - with unpaved runways

15

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OO

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 18, container ship 3, general cargo 15, oil tanker 23, other 140

total

199 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

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

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

3,139 km gas, 154 km oil, 535 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Antwerp (12,020,000) (2021)

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

total

3,602 km (2020) 3,160 km electrified

Roadways

paved

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

total

118,414 km (2015)

Waterways

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

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, such as its ongoing deployments to Africa for the EU and UN, eastern Europe as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence mission, and the Middle East with an international coalition to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham; 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 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 Netherlandsthe Belgian military is a small, professional, and all-volunteer force equipped with modern Western equipment; the Land Component’s combat forces are a motorized brigade and a special operations regiment; the Marine Component is a compact but active force that conducts a variety of missions ranging from territorial water patrols to humanitarian and counterpiracy operations, as well as support to multinational security operations; it has two frigates, which are supported by several patrol boats and mine warfare vessels; the Air Component has about 50 US-made F-16 fighter aircraft, which are slated to be replaced by US F-35 stealth multirole fighter aircraft by 2025 (2023)

Military and security forces

Belgian Armed Forces (Defensie or  La Défense): Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Component (2023)

note

note: the Belgian Federal Police is the national police force and responsible for internal security and nationwide law and order, including migration and border enforcement; the force reports to the ministers of interior and justice

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Land Component; 1,500 Marine Component; 5,000 Air Force Component; 1,500 Medical Component; 7,000 other, including joint staff, support, and training schools) (2023)

Military deployments

125 France (EuroCorps); 325 Eastern Europe (NATO); 100 Middle East; 325 Niger  (2023)

note

note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Belgium, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the armed forces have a mix of weapons systems from European countries, Israel, and the US; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.9% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.1% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.13% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished in 1995 (2023)

note

note 1: in 2023, women comprised nearly 11% of the military's full-time personnelnote 2: foreign nationals 18-34 years of age who speak Dutch or French and are citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland may apply to join the military

Disputes - international

none identified

Illicit drugs

a transit point for precursor chemicals from China and India destined for clandestine synthetic drug laboratories in the Netherlands and to some labs in Belgium; a primary entry point for cocaine into Europe; one of the top methamphetamine producers in Europe;  a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

20,086 (Syria), 7,049 (Afghanistan), 5,769 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 73,095 (Ukraine) (as of 22 August 2023)

stateless persons

1,190 (2022)

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) (2023)

Space program overview

founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), which acts as the de facto Belgian space agency as most programs are carried out under the ESA or bi-laterally with its member states; builds satellites, particularly research/science/technology and remote sensing (RS) platforms; also researches, develops, and produces a wide variety of other space technologies, including telecommunications, optics, robotics, scientific instruments, and space launch vehicle (SLV) components; supports the ESA’s SLV program with economic assistance (6% of the funding for the Ariane-5 SLV, for example), as well as legal, scientific, and technological expertise; hosts the European Space Security and Education Center (established 1968); participates in international astronomy efforts, particularly through the European Southern Observatory (ESO); participates in multiple ESA and EU space-related programs and research efforts; in addition to the ESA and EU, has cooperated with a variety foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of Argentina, China, India, Russia, South Africa, UAE, Vietnam, and the US (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

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

11.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

18.3 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

3.47 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

740 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

98.2% of total population (2023)

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.)