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, 2009

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 2009's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$238.06B · 49.1% of GDP
Spending
$264.48B · 54.5% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$26.42B · -5.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2009: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2009: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection35.1$92.92B
General public services16.8$44.32B
Health14.3$37.87B
Economic affairs12.4$32.74B
Education11.1$29.33B
Public order and safety3.4$8.97B
Recreation, culture and religion2.4$6.35B
Environmental protection2$5.28B
Defence1.8$4.86B
Housing and community amenities0.7$1.85B
Social protection$92.92B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age41.4$38.51B
Sickness and disability14.2$13.2B
Unemployment13.7$12.77B
Family and children12.5$11.65B
Survivors10.3$9.57B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.6$5.18B
Social protection n.e.c.1.4$1.25B
Housing0.8$753.61M
R&D Social protection0$29.99M
General public services$44.32B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions44.7$19.8B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs29.9$13.25B
General services10.9$4.83B
Basic research10.6$4.72B
Foreign economic aid3.4$1.49B
General public services n.e.c.0.3$134.46M
R&D General public services0.2$90.1M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$139.48K
Health$37.87B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services48.4$18.32B
Outpatient services35.1$13.3B
Medical products, appliances and equipment12.1$4.57B
Public health services2.2$838.27M
Health n.e.c.2$766.3M
R&D Health0.2$71.97M
Economic affairs$32.74B
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 affairs47$15.39B
Transport42$13.75B
R&D Economic affairs3.3$1.08B
Fuel and energy2.5$811.77M
Other industries2.2$733.53M
Communication1.6$517.19M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.3$426.67M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.1$19.95M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0$6.28M
Education$29.33B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education40.5$11.88B
Pre-primary and primary education31.7$9.3B
Tertiary education14.4$4.22B
Education not definable by level8.1$2.39B
Education n.e.c.2.7$785.13M
Subsidiary services to education2.6$751.8M
R&D Education0$8.79M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$418.44K
Public order and safety$8.97B
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 services61.2$5.49B
Law courts14.5$1.3B
Fire-protection services11.9$1.07B
Prisons7.9$708.28M
Public order and safety n.e.c.4.3$382.73M
R&D Public order and safety0.3$25.11M
Recreation, culture and religion$6.35B
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 services37.8$2.4B
Recreational and sporting services31.4$1.99B
Broadcasting and publishing services20.4$1.3B
Religious and other community services6.1$386.92M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.6$230.98M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.7$43.1M
Environmental protection$5.28B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste management47.6$2.51B
Pollution abatement27.1$1.43B
Environmental protection n.e.c.13.7$723.76M
Waste water management6.9$364.18M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape4$208.94M
R&D Environmental protection0.8$41.29M
Defence$4.86B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96.8$4.7B
Foreign military aid2.5$123.16M
Defence n.e.c.0.5$24.83M
R&D Defence0.2$7.95M
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$1.85B
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 development44.5$821.12M
Community development29.7$547.46M
Street lighting17.3$318.71M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.5$92.06M
Water supply3.4$63.6M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.1$2.65M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2009: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2009: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions33.7$80.31B
Taxes on income and wealth30.6$72.83B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.3$62.67B
Sales, fees and charges4.9$11.75B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.9$4.57B
Other transfers received1.2$2.97B
Capital transfers and taxes received0.8$1.99B
Subsidies received0.4$986.26M
Taxes on income and wealth$72.83B
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 income96.6$70.33B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.4$2.5B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$62.67B
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 tax54.3$34.02B
Not broken down, or fitting no category45.7$28.65B

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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