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, 2008

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 2008's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$257.02B · 49.7% of GDP
Spending
$262.68B · 50.8% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$5.67B · -1.1% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2008: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2008: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection34.5$90.59B
General public services17.2$45.08B
Health14.4$37.73B
Economic affairs12$31.51B
Education11.3$29.61B
Public order and safety3.5$9.2B
Recreation, culture and religion2.4$6.42B
Defence2.1$5.49B
Environmental protection1.9$4.96B
Housing and community amenities0.8$2.1B
Social protection$90.59B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age42.4$38.45B
Sickness and disability14.4$13B
Unemployment12.8$11.61B
Family and children12.3$11.18B
Survivors10.8$9.74B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.4$4.87B
Social protection n.e.c.1.1$1.03B
Housing0.7$664.07M
R&D Social protection0$30.89M
General public services$45.08B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions47$21.17B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs27.9$12.59B
General services11.3$5.08B
Basic research10.1$4.54B
Foreign economic aid3.3$1.5B
General public services n.e.c.0.3$121.64M
R&D General public services0.2$85.75M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Health$37.73B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services49.8$18.78B
Outpatient services33.7$12.73B
Medical products, appliances and equipment12.2$4.59B
Health n.e.c.2.1$804.09M
Public health services2$747.9M
R&D Health0.2$75.89M
Economic affairs$31.51B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
General economic, commercial and labour affairs44.6$14.05B
Transport44.5$14.02B
R&D Economic affairs3.4$1.07B
Other industries2.2$697.01M
Communication1.9$612.44M
Fuel and energy1.8$571.55M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.5$464.04M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.1$24.27M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0$9.27M
Education$29.61B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education41.6$12.33B
Pre-primary and primary education32.8$9.7B
Tertiary education12.8$3.78B
Education not definable by level7.8$2.31B
Education n.e.c.2.7$802.76M
Subsidiary services to education2.3$679.95M
R&D Education0$6.03M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$147.08K
Public order and safety$9.2B
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 services60.5$5.57B
Law courts16.2$1.49B
Fire-protection services12$1.11B
Prisons7.4$682.75M
Public order and safety n.e.c.3.8$345.64M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$14.56M
Recreation, culture and religion$6.42B
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 services38.5$2.47B
Recreational and sporting services30.4$1.95B
Broadcasting and publishing services20.9$1.34B
Religious and other community services6.3$402.41M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.3$211.8M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.7$44.57M
Defence$5.49B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96.2$5.28B
Foreign military aid3.2$173.11M
R&D Defence0.7$37.06M
Defence n.e.c.0$882.48K
Civil defence0$0
Environmental protection$4.96B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management49.7$2.46B
Pollution abatement23.5$1.17B
Environmental protection n.e.c.13.2$656.12M
Waste water management7.1$354.46M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape5.2$257.24M
R&D Environmental protection1.2$60.89M
Housing and community amenities$2.1B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Community development34.4$724.22M
Housing development29.1$612.74M
Water supply16.8$352.84M
Street lighting15.4$324.46M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.4.1$85.89M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.2$3.24M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2008: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2008: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth32.7$84.1B
Social contributions32.1$82.61B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26$66.78B
Sales, fees and charges4.6$11.9B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2.2$5.56B
Capital transfers and taxes received1$2.6B
Other transfers received1$2.54B
Subsidies received0.4$914.98M
Taxes on income and wealth$84.1B
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 income96.8$81.4B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.2$2.7B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$66.78B
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 tax54.5$36.4B
Not broken down, or fitting no category45.5$30.39B

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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