This Survey was prepared in the Economics Department by Lilas Demmou and Manav Frohde, under the supervision of Piritta Sorsa. Statistical research assistance was provided by Pedro Herrera Gimenez with general administrative assistance provided by Anthony Bolton and Brigitte Beyeler. The Survey also benefitted from consultancy contributions by Francois Rycx, Vincent Vandenberghe and Peter Walkenhorst.

The Survey was discussed at a meeting of the Economic and Development Review Committee on 20 March 2017 and is published on the responsibility of the Secretary General of the OECD.

  
BASIC STATISTICS OF BELGIUM, 2015
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)*

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

11.4

Population density per km2

371.3

(37.0)

 Under 15 (%)

17.2

(18.0)

Life expectancy (years, 2014)

81.4

(80.6)

 Over 65 (%)

18.2

(16.3)

 Men

78.8

(77.9)

 Foreign-born (%, 2014)

16.2

 Women

83.9

(83.3)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

0.81

(0.60)

Latest general election

May 2014

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

 In current prices (billion USD)

455.1

 Primary sector

0.7

(2.5)

 In current prices (billion EUR)

410.4

 Industry including construction

22.2

(27.0)

 Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

1.0

(1.9)

 Services

77.1

(70.6)

 Per capita (000 USD PPP)

45.9

(40.8)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

53.9

(40.5)

Gross financial debt

126.7

(114.0)

Revenue

51.3

(37.9)

Net financial debt

97.7

(72.7)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (EUR per USD)

0.901

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

0.798

 Machinery and transport equipment

33.9

In per cent of GDP

 Manufactured goods

15.4

 Exports of goods and services

82.9

(54.8)

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

13.5

 Imports of goods and services

81.3

(50.2)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

 Current account balance

0.4

(0.2)

 Machinery and transport equipment

31.1

 Net international investment position (2014)

52.5

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

14.8

 Miscellaneous manufactured articles

14.1

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

61.8

(66.2)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

8.5

(6.8)

 Men

65.5

(74.1)

 Youth (age 15-24, %)

22.1

(13.9)

 Women

58.0

(58.5)

 Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

4.4

(2.2)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

67.6

(71.3)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%)

36.9

(35.0)

Average hours worked per year

1 541

(1 766)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)

2.5

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe)

4.6

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2014)

7.7

(9.4)

 Renewables (%)

6.3

(9.6)

Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m3, 2012)

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2013)

100.0

(72.3)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2014)

0.4

(0.5)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2013)

0.268

(0.311)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%, 2013)

10.0

(11.1)

 Reading

499

(493)

Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2013)

26.9

(22.0)

 Mathematics

507

(490)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

 Science

502

(493)

 Health care

10.4

(9.0)

Share of women in parliament (%)

39.3

(28.6)

 Pensions (2013)

10.5

(9.1)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

0.42

(0.37)

 Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2013)

4.4

(3.7)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← * Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.