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, 2015

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 2015's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$237B · 51.4% of GDP
Spending
$248.41B · 53.9% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$11.41B · -2.5% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2015: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2015: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection36.1$89.69B
General public services15$37.31B
Health14.5$36.14B
Economic affairs12.8$31.67B
Education11.7$29.09B
Public order and safety3.1$7.81B
Environmental protection2.4$5.88B
Recreation, culture and religion2.3$5.64B
Defence1.5$3.83B
Housing and community amenities0.5$1.33B
Social protection$89.69B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age45.9$41.13B
Sickness and disability16.2$14.54B
Family and children11.7$10.5B
Unemployment10.1$9.06B
Survivors9.1$8.19B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.2$4.68B
Housing1$884.05M
Social protection n.e.c.0.8$684.67M
R&D Social protection0$24.41M
General public services$37.31B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions39.1$14.6B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs30$11.19B
Basic research14.9$5.55B
General services12.5$4.65B
Foreign economic aid2.8$1.06B
R&D General public services0.4$153.44M
General public services n.e.c.0.3$113.72M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Health$36.14B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services51.7$18.68B
Outpatient services33.7$12.18B
Medical products, appliances and equipment10.5$3.79B
Health n.e.c.2.3$833.01M
Public health services1.7$629.97M
R&D Health0.1$27.85M
Economic affairs$31.67B
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 affairs48.6$15.41B
Transport41.4$13.11B
R&D Economic affairs3.9$1.22B
Other industries1.8$581.38M
Fuel and energy1.7$535.33M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.2$392.65M
Communication1.2$381.22M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.1$41.61M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0$2.88M
Education$29.09B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education39.3$11.42B
Pre-primary and primary education32.1$9.34B
Tertiary education14.5$4.21B
Education not definable by level8.8$2.57B
Subsidiary services to education3.3$947.96M
Education n.e.c.2$574.5M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.1$23.19M
R&D Education0$2.66M
Public order and safety$7.81B
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 services61.4$4.79B
Law courts13.6$1.06B
Fire-protection services9.5$745.36M
Prisons8.7$678.02M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.7$523.46M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$12.2M
Environmental protection$5.88B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement48.9$2.88B
Waste management29.8$1.75B
Environmental protection n.e.c.9.8$576.72M
Waste water management6.5$382.44M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape4.1$239.32M
R&D Environmental protection1$57.58M
Recreation, culture and religion$5.64B
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 services39.5$2.23B
Recreational and sporting services30.5$1.72B
Broadcasting and publishing services17.2$972.03M
Religious and other community services7.4$415.73M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.4.2$238.32M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1.2$68.79M
Defence$3.83B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96.8$3.7B
Foreign military aid2.6$101.3M
R&D Defence0.6$22.19M
Defence n.e.c.0$554.75K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$1.33B
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 development39.1$520.02M
Housing development23.1$306.78M
Street lighting19.1$253.41M
Water supply13.6$180.85M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.4.8$63.46M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.3$3.88M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2015: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2015: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions31.9$75.58B
Taxes on income and wealth31.9$75.49B
Taxes on sales, production and imports25.8$61.15B
Sales, fees and charges5.6$13.35B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.6$3.88B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.5$3.66B
Other transfers received1.3$2.97B
Subsidies received0.4$917.45M
Taxes on income and wealth$75.49B
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 income97.2$73.35B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.8$2.14B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$61.15B
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 tax50.7$31.01B
Not broken down, or fitting no category49.3$30.14B

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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