Public budgets

Belgium: public budget

What Belgium's government raised and what it spent it on, from the figures its own budget laws or a statistics office publish. Solon places every figure on the same international classification, so it can be compared with any other place.

General government, 2004

Outturn: what came in and was spent

General government: central, state and local government and social security funds together, consolidated so that money passed between them is counted once, as Eurostat's government finance statistics (ESA 2010) count it.

Amounts in USD, converted from EUR at 2004's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$181.21B · 49.1% of GDP
Spending
$182.09B · 49.3% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$881.3M · -0.2% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2004: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2004: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection35$63.76B
General public services19.3$35.17B
Health14$25.45B
Education11.4$20.78B
Economic affairs9.4$17.21B
Public order and safety3.3$6.07B
Recreation, culture and religion2.6$4.68B
Defence2.2$4.05B
Environmental protection1.8$3.23B
Housing and community amenities0.9$1.7B
Social protection$63.76B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age41.2$26.25B
Unemployment15.2$9.72B
Sickness and disability14.2$9.06B
Family and children11.9$7.62B
Survivors11.3$7.21B
Social exclusion n.e.c.4.6$2.93B
Social protection n.e.c.1.1$687.25M
Housing0.4$254.63M
R&D Social protection0$30.23M
General public services$35.17B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions51.7$18.17B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs27.4$9.63B
General services10.1$3.55B
Basic research8.3$2.9B
Foreign economic aid2.2$767.98M
General public services n.e.c.0.2$85.95M
R&D General public services0.2$60.08M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Health$25.45B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services50.7$12.89B
Outpatient services32.5$8.27B
Medical products, appliances and equipment12.6$3.22B
Public health services2.3$582.77M
Health n.e.c.1.8$448.92M
R&D Health0.2$39.93M
Education$20.78B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education41.7$8.67B
Pre-primary and primary education32.6$6.77B
Tertiary education13.1$2.73B
Education not definable by level8.1$1.68B
Subsidiary services to education2.4$508.88M
Education n.e.c.2$421.56M
R&D Education0$6.47M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$0
Economic affairs$17.21B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport48.5$8.35B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs38.7$6.67B
R&D Economic affairs4.9$838.64M
Communication2.8$477.53M
Other industries2.4$412.23M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting2.1$368.57M
Fuel and energy0.4$72.77M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.1$17.54M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0$6.1M
Public order and safety$6.07B
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Police services58.7$3.56B
Law courts17.1$1.04B
Fire-protection services12.3$748.7M
Prisons7$426.16M
Public order and safety n.e.c.4.7$285.1M
R&D Public order and safety0.1$8.21M
Recreation, culture and religion$4.68B
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Cultural services41$1.92B
Recreational and sporting services27.6$1.29B
Broadcasting and publishing services21.5$1B
Religious and other community services7$326.77M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2.2$101.38M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.8$37.32M
Defence$4.05B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96.5$3.91B
Foreign military aid2.3$95.03M
R&D Defence1.1$44.66M
Defence n.e.c.0$1.62M
Civil defence0$0
Environmental protection$3.23B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management49.1$1.58B
Waste water management20.2$652.05M
Environmental protection n.e.c.12.2$392.57M
Pollution abatement10.6$340.95M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape6.5$209.6M
R&D Environmental protection1.5$48.51M
Housing and community amenities$1.7B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Housing development57.8$982.93M
Community development28.7$488.6M
Street lighting10.1$171.41M
Water supply2.5$41.8M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.4$7.59M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.0.4$7.34M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2004: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2004: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth33.2$60.16B
Social contributions31.9$57.87B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.4$47.85B
Sales, fees and charges4.5$8.17B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.6$2.88B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.2$2.23B
Other transfers received0.9$1.56B
Subsidies received0.3$497.81M
Taxes on income and wealth$60.16B
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income96.5$58.05B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.5$2.1B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$47.85B
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Value added tax53$25.38B
Not broken down, or fitting no category47$22.46B

Over the years

48.1 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99549.1 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99649.4 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99750 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99849.9 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99949.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00049.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00149.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00249.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00349.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00449.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00549 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00648.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00749.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00849.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00949.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01050.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01151.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01252.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01352.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01451.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01551 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01651.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01751.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01849.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01949.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02049.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02149 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02248.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02349.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02449.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02552.6 % of GDPSpending · 1,99553.1 % of GDPSpending · 1,99651.6 % of GDPSpending · 1,99751 % of GDPSpending · 1,99850.5 % of GDPSpending · 1,99949.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,00049.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,00149.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00251 % of GDPSpending · 2,00349.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,00451.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00548.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00648.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00750.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00854.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,00953.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01055 % of GDPSpending · 2,01156.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,01255.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01355.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,01453.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01553.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,01652.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01752.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01851.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,01958.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,02054.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,02152.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,02252.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,02354.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,024
Belgium: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
Belgium: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
PeriodRevenue (% of GDP)Spending (% of GDP)
1,99548.152.6
1,99649.153.1
1,99749.451.6
1,9985051
1,99949.950.5
2,00049.349.4
2,00149.649.4
2,00249.949.9
2,00349.151
2,00449.149.3
2,00549.251.9
2,0064948.8
2,00748.748.6
2,00849.750.8
2,00949.154.5
2,01049.853.9
2,01150.655
2,01251.956.2
2,01352.755.9
2,01452.255.4
2,01551.453.9
2,0165153.4
2,01751.552.3
2,01851.552.5
2,01949.751.8
2,02049.558.5
2,02149.554.9
2,0224952.5
2,02348.752.8
2,02449.754.1
2,02549.2
Where these figures come from

Series read from Eurostat, government finance statistics (gov_10a_main, gov_10a_exp) on 2026-11-11.

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