Europe & Central Asia · High income
Belgium: the economy in numbers
Per person: $60,750, or $74,676 at purchasing power parity. Population: 11.9 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #22 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +0.7%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $129 billion in 1960, $725 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $14,057 per person in 1960, $60,750 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 1.6% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 5 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose by 78.9% from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 12.8% in 1975.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1980: 138.9% of GDP in 1993. IMF forecast for 2031: 122.1%.
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2018 listed domestic companies were worth $321 billion, or 59.2% of GDP.
Population
1960: 9.15 million · 2025: 11.9 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 7.0% · 2025: 5.9%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 69.7 years · 2024: 82.3 years.
Exports of goods and services
1970: 45.0% · 2025: 75.5%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 1.3%f | 1.8%f | 122.1%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 1.3%f | 1.8%f | 119.3%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 1.3%f | 2.0%f | 116.4%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 1.2%f | 2.1%f | 114.1%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 1.1%f | 2.9%f | 111.6%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 0.7%f | 3.8%f | 109.8%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $725B | $60,750 | $74,676 | 1.0% | 2.5% | 107.9% | 11.9M | 5.9% | 75.5% | ||
| 2024 | $671B | $56,582 | $74,225 | 1.1% | 3.1% | 103.9% | 11.9M | 5.7% | 82.3 | 79.3% | |
| 2023 | $651B | $55,245 | $72,630 | 1.6% | 4.0% | 102.5% | 11.8M | 5.5% | 82.4 | 82.8% | |
| 2022 | $591B | $50,639 | $68,879 | 4.0% | 9.6% | 103.3% | 11.7M | 5.6% | 81.7 | 94.4% | |
| 2021 | $599B | $51,658 | $60,669 | 6.3% | 2.4% | 108.7% | 11.6M | 6.2% | 81.8 | 89.6% | |
| 2020 | $530B | $45,906 | $56,120 | −4.8% | 0.7% | 111.4% | 11.5M | 5.5% | 80.7 | 79.2% | |
| 2019 | $537B | $46,717 | $56,712 | 2.4% | 1.4% | 97.7% | 11.5M | 5.4% | 82.0 | 83.0% | |
| 2018 | $543B | $47,487 | $52,467 | 1.9% | 2.1% | 100.1% | 11.4M | 5.9% | 59.2% | 81.6 | 83.5% |
| 2017 | $501B | $44,035 | $50,256 | 1.5% | 2.1% | 102.5% | 11.4M | 7.1% | 87.4% | 81.5 | 83.4% |
| 2016 | $474B | $41,855 | $48,415 | 1.2% | 2.0% | 105.5% | 11.3M | 7.8% | 79.7% | 81.4 | 79.6% |
| 2015 | $461B | $40,894 | $46,072 | 1.5% | 0.6% | 105.6% | 11.3M | 8.5% | 89.9% | 81.0 | 77.9% |
| 2014 | $538B | $47,996 | $45,148 | 1.8% | 0.3% | 106.6% | 11.2M | 8.5% | 70.4% | 81.3 | 79.4% |
| 2013 | $524B | $46,965 | $43,864 | 0.3% | 1.1% | 105.0% | 11.2M | 8.4% | 71.4% | 80.6 | 78.9% |
| 2012 | $498B | $44,874 | $42,484 | 0.2% | 2.8% | 104.3% | 11.1M | 7.5% | 60.1% | 80.4 | 80.0% |
| 2011 | $527B | $47,761 | $41,245 | 1.9% | 3.5% | 102.7% | 11M | 7.1% | 43.5% | 80.6 | 80.3% |
| 2010 | $482B | $44,197 | $39,840 | 2.7% | 2.2% | 100.2% | 10.9M | 8.3% | 55.8% | 80.2 | 75.8% |
| 2009 | $485B | $44,923 | $37,906 | −1.9% | −0.1% | 99.9% | 10.8M | 7.9% | 53.6% | 80.0 | 68.6% |
| 2008 | $517B | $48,303 | $37,883 | 0.4% | 4.5% | 93.2% | 10.7M | 7.0% | 32.3% | 79.7 | 80.9% |
| 2007 | $471B | $44,319 | $36,798 | 3.7% | 1.8% | 87.3% | 10.6M | 7.5% | 81.9% | 79.8 | 78.3% |
| 2006 | $408B | $38,705 | $35,251 | 2.6% | 1.8% | 91.5% | 10.5M | 8.2% | 97.0% | 79.4 | 76.8% |
| 2005 | $386B | $36,810 | $33,178 | 2.3% | 2.8% | 95.1% | 10.5M | 8.4% | 74.8% | 79.0 | 74.3% |
| 2004 | $369B | $35,429 | $32,060 | 3.6% | 2.1% | 97.2% | 10.4M | 7.4% | 74.0% | 78.9 | 70.9% |
| 2003 | $318B | $30,655 | $30,931 | 1.0% | 1.6% | 101.7% | 10.4M | 7.7% | 54.6% | 78.1 | 69.0% |
| 2002 | $258B | $25,006 | $30,282 | 1.7% | 1.6% | 105.4% | 10.3M | 6.9% | 49.4% | 78.1 | 70.8% |
| 2001 | $237B | $23,015 | $28,794 | 1.1% | 2.5% | 108.2% | 10.3M | 6.2% | 70.1% | 78.0 | 71.6% |
| 2000 | $237B | $23,099 | $27,794 | 3.7% | 2.5% | 109.6% | 10.3M | 6.6% | 77.1% | 77.7 | 72.5% |
| 1999 | $258B | $25,253 | $25,441 | 3.5% | 1.1% | 115.4% | 10.2M | 8.6% | 71.3% | 77.6 | 64.6% |
| 1998 | $259B | $25,338 | $24,370 | 2.0% | 0.9% | 119.2% | 10.2M | 9.3% | 94.4% | 77.5 | 64.2% |
| 1997 | $253B | $24,821 | $23,733 | 3.8% | 1.6% | 124.3% | 10.2M | 8.9% | 54.2% | 77.4 | 64.8% |
| 1996 | $279B | $27,490 | $22,745 | 1.3% | 2.1% | 129.0% | 10.2M | 9.5% | 42.6% | 77.2 | 61.2% |
| 1995 | $288B | $28,414 | $22,446 | 2.4% | 1.5% | 131.3% | 10.1M | 9.3% | 35.2% | 76.8 | 60.1% |
| 1994 | $245B | $24,209 | $21,518 | 3.2% | 2.4% | 137.1% | 10.1M | 9.6% | 34.4% | 76.7 | 58.4% |
| 1993 | $225B | $22,284 | $20,473 | −1.0% | 2.8% | 138.9% | 10.1M | 8.1% | 34.7% | 76.3 | 56.1% |
| 1992 | $235B | $23,373 | $20,272 | 1.5% | 2.4% | 134.7% | 10M | 6.7% | 27.3% | 76.4 | 58.8% |
| 1991 | $211B | $21,042 | $19,601 | 1.8% | 3.2% | 131.8% | 10M | 7.0% | 33.8% | 76.2 | 60.2% |
| 1990 | $205B | $20,600 | $18,688 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 130.3% | 9.97M | 31.9% | 76.1 | 61.6% | |
| 1989 | $164B | $16,525 | 3.5% | 3.1% | 126.4% | 9.94M | 45.6% | 75.6 | 63.6% | ||
| 1988 | $162B | $16,391 | 4.7% | 1.2% | 129.7% | 9.9M | 36.2% | 75.6 | 59.4% | ||
| 1987 | $149B | $15,136 | 2.3% | 1.6% | 129.2% | 9.87M | 27.9% | 75.4 | 55.9% | ||
| 1986 | $120B | $12,170 | 1.8% | 1.3% | 124.7% | 9.86M | 31.1% | 74.7 | 57.3% | ||
| 1985 | $86.3B | $8,751 | 1.7% | 4.9% | 119.4% | 9.86M | 24.2% | 74.5 | 62.5% | ||
| 1984 | $83.3B | $8,457 | 2.5% | 6.3% | 114.6% | 9.86M | 14.8% | 74.4 | 64.4% | ||
| 1983 | $87.2B | $8,846 | 0.3% | 7.7% | 110.3% | 9.86M | 12.4% | 73.9 | 60.4% | ||
| 1982 | $92.1B | $9,344 | 0.6% | 8.7% | 99.6% | 9.86M | 9.3% | 73.9 | 58.1% | ||
| 1981 | $105B | $10,623 | −0.3% | 7.6% | 89.7% | 9.86M | 8.0% | 73.6 | 54.1% | ||
| 1980 | $127B | $12,864 | 4.4% | 6.6% | 76.8% | 9.86M | 7.9% | 73.2 | 50.1% | ||
| 1979 | $116B | $11,811 | 2.3% | 4.5% | 9.85M | 11.8% | 73.2 | 49.9% | |||
| 1978 | $101B | $10,290 | 2.8% | 4.5% | 9.84M | 12.4% | 72.7 | 45.8% | |||
| 1977 | $82.8B | $8,427 | 0.6% | 7.1% | 9.83M | 12.4% | 72.8 | 47.5% | |||
| 1976 | $71.1B | $7,243 | 5.7% | 9.1% | 9.82M | 13.2% | 72.1 | 48.6% | |||
| 1975 | $65.7B | $6,701 | −2.0% | 12.8% | 9.8M | 13.7% | 72.0 | 45.9% | |||
| 1974 | $56B | $5,734 | 4.6% | 12.7% | 9.77M | 72.0 | 52.9% | ||||
| 1973 | $47.7B | $4,901 | 6.4% | 7.0% | 9.74M | 71.6 | 48.0% | ||||
| 1972 | $37.2B | $3,832 | 5.3% | 5.4% | 9.71M | 71.4 | 44.1% | ||||
| 1971 | $29.8B | $3,083 | 4.0% | 4.3% | 9.67M | 71.1 | 43.8% | ||||
| 1970 | $26.7B | $2,766 | 6.4% | 3.9% | 9.66M | 71.0 | 45.0% | ||||
| 1969 | $24B | $2,490 | 6.6% | 3.8% | 9.65M | 70.8 | |||||
| 1968 | $21.7B | $2,251 | 4.2% | 2.7% | 9.62M | 70.7 | |||||
| 1967 | $20.3B | $2,114 | 3.9% | 2.7% | 9.58M | 71.0 | |||||
| 1966 | $18.9B | $1,983 | 3.2% | 4.2% | 9.53M | 70.7 | |||||
| 1965 | $17.6B | $1,860 | 3.6% | 4.1% | 9.46M | 70.6 | |||||
| 1964 | $16.2B | $1,724 | 7.0% | 4.2% | 9.38M | 70.8 | |||||
| 1963 | $14.4B | $1,555 | 4.4% | 2.1% | 9.29M | 70.1 | |||||
| 1962 | $13.4B | $1,457 | 5.2% | 1.4% | 9.22M | 70.2 | |||||
| 1961 | $12.6B | $1,368 | 5.0% | 1.0% | 9.18M | 70.5 | |||||
| 1960 | $11.8B | $1,290 | 0.3% | 9.15M | 69.7 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Europe & Central Asia
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Channel Islands · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Faroe Islands · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Greenland · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Isle of Man · Italy · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Kyrgyzstan · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Türkiye · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Uzbekistan
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)