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, 2011

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 2011's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$266.69B · 50.6% of GDP
Spending
$290.11B · 55% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$23.42B · -4.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2011: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2011: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection34.5$100.06B
General public services16.1$46.58B
Health14$40.49B
Economic affairs13.6$39.53B
Education11.2$32.53B
Public order and safety3.3$9.54B
Environmental protection2.7$7.82B
Recreation, culture and religion2.3$6.82B
Defence1.7$4.96B
Housing and community amenities0.6$1.79B
Social protection$100.06B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age42.6$42.65B
Sickness and disability14.2$14.25B
Family and children12.8$12.81B
Unemployment12.5$12.46B
Survivors10$9.97B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.7$5.74B
Social protection n.e.c.1.2$1.16B
Housing1$980.39M
R&D Social protection0$34.52M
General public services$46.58B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions42.7$19.88B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs29.4$13.7B
Basic research12$5.57B
General services10.8$5.02B
Foreign economic aid4.7$2.19B
General public services n.e.c.0.3$116.51M
R&D General public services0.2$86.03M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Health$40.49B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services51.8$20.97B
Outpatient services32.1$12.98B
Medical products, appliances and equipment11.9$4.82B
Public health services2.1$845.08M
Health n.e.c.2$827.27M
R&D Health0.1$47.47M
Economic affairs$39.53B
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 affairs52.4$20.71B
Transport37.6$14.87B
R&D Economic affairs3$1.19B
Fuel and energy2.7$1.09B
Other industries1.6$635.03M
Communication1.3$531.88M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1$399.36M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.2$90.34M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0$9.19M
Education$32.53B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education39.7$12.92B
Pre-primary and primary education31.7$10.3B
Tertiary education15.4$5B
Education not definable by level8.1$2.62B
Subsidiary services to education3$962.43M
Education n.e.c.2.2$720.92M
R&D Education0$5.57M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0$4.87M
Public order and safety$9.54B
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 services57.7$5.51B
Law courts14.4$1.38B
Fire-protection services12.4$1.18B
Prisons8.4$801.65M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.9$655.63M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$21.85M
Environmental protection$7.82B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement54$4.22B
Waste management28.5$2.23B
Environmental protection n.e.c.10.3$808.89M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape3.6$281.46M
Waste water management2.9$225.36M
R&D Environmental protection0.7$56.79M
Recreation, culture and religion$6.82B
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 services39.8$2.71B
Recreational and sporting services31.4$2.14B
Broadcasting and publishing services18.1$1.23B
Religious and other community services6.3$432.49M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.7$253.9M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.7$47.33M
Defence$4.96B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96$4.76B
Foreign military aid3.4$166.62M
R&D Defence0.6$32.16M
Defence n.e.c.0$696K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$1.79B
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 development31.1$556.94M
Community development31$553.88M
Street lighting17.4$311.67M
Water supply14.5$259.05M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.5.9$105.24M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.1$1.53M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2011: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2011: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions32.3$86.18B
Taxes on income and wealth31.2$83.21B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26$69.39B
Sales, fees and charges4.9$13.18B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2.4$6.51B
Other transfers received1.5$3.87B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.2$3.19B
Subsidies received0.4$1.16B
Taxes on income and wealth$83.21B
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$80.52B
Other taxes on wealth and income3.2$2.69B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$69.39B
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 tax53.2$36.89B
Not broken down, or fitting no category46.8$32.5B

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.

Change it

Think this money should be raised or spent differently? Draft it as a proposal: a proposal is evidence of support, handed to whoever decides, never law.

Propose a change to this budgetCompare one function across countries →