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Belgium

Code: BE | Region: Europe

Introduction

Background

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Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, longstanding tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations, including the EU and NATO.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

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50 50 N, 4 00 E

Map references

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Europe

Area

total

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30,528 sq km

land

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30,278 sq km

water

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250 sq km

Area - comparative

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about the size of Maryland

Land boundaries

total

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1,297 km

border countries

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

Coastline

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66.5 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm

contiguous zone

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24 nm

exclusive economic zone

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geographic coordinates define outer limit

continental shelf

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median line with neighbors

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Elevation

highest point

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Botrange 694 m

lowest point

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North Sea 0 m

mean elevation

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181 m

Natural resources

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construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land

Land use

agricultural land

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44.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 28.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 15.3% (2023 est.)

forest

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22% (2023 est.)

other

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33.6% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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57 sq km (2013)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

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Seine (78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Population distribution

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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

Natural hazards

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flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes

Geography - note

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crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the EU and NATO

People and Society

Population

total

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11,960,170 (2025 est.)

male

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5,907,498

female

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6,052,672

Nationality

noun

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Belgian(s)

adjective

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Belgian

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

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<br>Het Wereld Feitenboek, een onmisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)<br><br>The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

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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.)

Age structure

0-14 years

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16.9% (male 1,038,578/female 990,215)

15-64 years

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62.8% (male 3,796,844/female 3,730,784)

65 years and over

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20.2% (2024 est.) (male 1,073,635/female 1,347,578)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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57.6 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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24.9 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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32.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

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3.1 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

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42.4 years (2025 est.)

male

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40.8 years

female

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43.1 years

Population growth rate

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0.45% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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9.09 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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4.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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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

Urbanization

urban population

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98.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

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

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.8 male(s)/female

total population

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0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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29.2 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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82.3 years (2024 est.)

male

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79.7 years

female

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85 years

Total fertility rate

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1.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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0.71 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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11% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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6.53 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

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5.5 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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22.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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9.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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1.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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0.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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24.1% (2025 est.)

male

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26.4% (2025 est.)

female

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22% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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0.3% (2023 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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52.4% (2021 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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0% (2020)

women married by age 18

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0.1% (2020)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

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6.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

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12% national budget (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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19 years (2022 est.)

male

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18 years (2022 est.)

female

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20 years (2022 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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urbanization; possible risks from industry and intensive farming; air and water pollution

International environmental agreements

party to

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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

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none of the selected agreements

Climate

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

Land use

agricultural land

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44.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 28.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 15.3% (2023 est.)

forest

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22% (2023 est.)

other

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33.6% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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98.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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112.083 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

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8.166 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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76.635 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

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27.282 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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4.766 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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31.7% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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740.19 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

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4.14 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

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41.97 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

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18.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks

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2 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks

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Famenne-Ardenne; Schelde Delta (includes Netherlands) (2024)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Kingdom of Belgium

conventional short form

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Belgium

local long form

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

local short form

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Belgique/Belgie/Belgien

etymology

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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.

Government type

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federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Capital

name

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Brussels

geographic coordinates

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50 84 N, 4 35 E

time difference

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UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time

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

etymology

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the name is of Germanic origin, from <em>broca </em>(marsh) and <em>sali </em>(room or building)

Administrative divisions

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3 regions (French: <em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>; Dutch: <em>gewesten</em>, singular - <em>gewest</em>); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), R<em>é</em>gion 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)

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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

Legal system

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civil law system based on the French Civil Code; judicial review of legislative acts

Constitution

history

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drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)

amendment process

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"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

International law organization participation

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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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no

citizenship by descent only

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at least one parent must be a citizen of Belgium

dual citizenship recognized

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yes

residency requirement for naturalization

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5 years

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

chief of state

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King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013)

head of government

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Prime Minister Bart DE WEVER (since 3 February 2025)

cabinet

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Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch

election/appointment process

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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

Legislative branch

legislature name

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Federal Parliament (Parlement fédéral - Federaal Parlement - Föderales Parlament)

legislative structure

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bicameral

note

<strong>note:</strong> the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this results in six governments, each with its own legislative assembly

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

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House of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)

number of seats

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150 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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proportional representation

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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5 years

most recent election date

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6/9/2024

parties elected and seats per party

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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

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41.3%

expected date of next election

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June 2029

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

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Senate (Sénat - Senaat - Senat)

number of seats

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60 (all indirectly elected)

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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5 years

most recent election date

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7/18/2024

percentage of women in chamber

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47.5%

expected date of next election

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July 2029

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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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

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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

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Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace

Political parties

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<strong>Flemish parties:</strong> <br>Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&amp;V <br>Vooruit or Forward (formerly Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A)<br>Groen or Green (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)<br>New Flemish Alliance or N-VA <br>Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD <br>Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB <br><br><strong>Francophone parties:</strong> <br>Ecolo (Francophone Greens) <br>Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi <br>Les Engages (formerly Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH)<br>Movement for Reform or MR <br>Socialist Party or PS <br>Workers' Party or PVDA-PTB

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric BERNARD (since 25 February 2025)

chancery

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1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005

telephone

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[1] (202) 333-6900

FAX

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[1] (202) 338-4960

email address and website

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<br>Washington@diplobel.fed.be<br><br>https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en

consulate(s) general

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Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Bill WHITE (since 17 November 2025)

embassy

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Regentlaan 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels

mailing address

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7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC&nbsp; 20521-7600

telephone

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[32] (2) 811-4000

FAX

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[32] (2) 811-4500

email address and website

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<br>uscitizenBrussels@state.gov<br><br>https://be.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

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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

Independence

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4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)

National holiday

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

Flag

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<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of black (left side), yellow, and red<br><br><strong>history:</strong> 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)

National symbol(s)

text

golden rampant lion

National color(s)

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red, black, yellow

National anthem(s)

title

text

"La Braban&ccedil;onne" (The Song of Brabant)

lyrics/music

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

history

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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

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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16 (15 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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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)

Economy

Economic overview

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<p>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</p>

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

text

$749.229 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

text

$741.672 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

text

$732.865 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

text

1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

text

1.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

text

4.3% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$63,100 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

text

$62,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

text

$62,700 (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

text

$664.564 billion (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

text

3.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

text

9.6% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

text

0.8% (2024 est.)

industry

text

17.6% (2024 est.)

services

text

72.1% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

text

50.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption

text

23.8% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

text

24.4% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

text

1% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

text

84.2% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

text

-84.8% (2023 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agricultural products

text

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

note

<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

text

engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate

text

-0.6% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

text

5.416 million (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

text

5.5% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

5.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

text

5.6% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

text

16.8% (2024 est.)

male

text

18.6% (2024 est.)

female

text

14.7% (2024 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

text

12.3% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

text

26.4 (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Average household expenditures

on food

text

12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco

text

4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

text

3.8% (2022 est.)

highest 10%

text

22.2% (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Remittances

Remittances 2024

text

2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

text

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

revenues

text

$220.657 billion (2022 est.)

expenditures

text

$235.767 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Public debt

Public debt 2022

text

92.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

text

22.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

text

-$5.679 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

text

-$4.503 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

-$7.031 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports

Exports 2024

text

$525.458 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

text

$542.508 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$565.233 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - partners

text

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Exports - commodities

text

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2024

text

$531.029 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

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$546.426 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

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$573.192 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - partners

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Imports - commodities

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

note

<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

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$41.449 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

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$40.813 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$41.274 billion (2022 est.)

note

<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Exchange rates

Currency

text

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

text

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

text

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

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0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

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0.876 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

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100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity

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28.248 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption

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74.537 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

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18.279 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

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18.626 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

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3.147 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

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24.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

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40.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

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9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

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20% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

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-0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) <b>note:</b> Belgium has negative net hydroelectric power generation based on losses from use of pumped storage hydropower

biomass and waste

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6.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy

Number of operational nuclear reactors

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4 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

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3.46GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production

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41.2% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

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3 (2025)

Coal

production

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1.269 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption

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4.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

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184,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

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4.046 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

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4.1 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production

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11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

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596,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

Natural gas

production

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12.938 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption

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14.382 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

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8.461 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

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23.007 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

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190.416 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

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2.49 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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21 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

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12.2 million (2024 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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104 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

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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;&nbsp; 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

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.be

Internet users

percent of population

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95% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

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5.12 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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44 (2023 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

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OO

Airports

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48 (2025)

Heliports

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112 (2025)

Railways

total

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

Merchant marine

total

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198 (2023)

by type

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bulk carrier 17, container ship 2, general cargo 16, oil tanker 21, other 142

Ports

total ports

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7 (2024)

large

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1

medium

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2

small

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2

very small

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2

ports with oil terminals

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5

key ports

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Antwerpen, Bruxelles, Ghent, Oostende, Zeebrugge

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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Belgian Armed Forces (Defensie or La Défense): Land Component, Marine (Naval) Component, Air Component, Medical Component, Cyber Command (2025)

note

<strong>note: </strong>the Belgian Federal Police is the national police force and responsible for internal security and nationwide law and order, including migration and border enforcement

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2025

text

2% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

text

1.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

text

1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

text

1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

text

1.1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

text

approximately 23,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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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 service age and obligation

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18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; maximum age varies by position; conscription abolished in 1995 (2025)

note

<strong>note 1:</strong> in 2024, women comprised about 11% of the military's full-time personnel<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> 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

Military deployments

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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 - note

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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)

Space

Space agency/agencies

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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

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builds satellites, particularly research/science/technology and remote sensing platforms; researches, develops, and produces a wide variety of space technologies, including telecommunications, optics, robotics, scientific instruments, and space launch vehicle components; founding member of the ESA and participates in a variety of ESA and EU projects, such as Space Surveillance and Tracking, Copernicus Earth observation, and Galileo global navigation satellite system; hosts the European Space Security and Education Center (established 1968); participates in international astronomy efforts, particularly through the European Southern Observatory (ESO); has worked with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities outside Europe, including those of Argentina, China, India, Russia, South Africa, UAE, Vietnam, and the US (2025)

Key space-program milestones

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1986 - joined first European Earth Observation program; founding member of European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites<br><br>1992 - first Belgian astronaut in space on the US Space Shuttle<br><br>2001 - first remote sensing satellite (PROBA-1) launched by India<br><br>2024 - signed US-led Artemis Accords outlining best practices for space exploration

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

<strong>note:</strong> 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 the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

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236,689 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

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849 (2024 est.)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

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<br>major precursor-chemical producer (2025)