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, 2016

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 2016's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$241.63B · 51% of GDP
Spending
$253.16B · 53.4% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$11.53B · -2.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2016: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2016: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection36.5$92.49B
General public services15$38.04B
Health14.3$36.16B
Economic affairs12.6$31.89B
Education11.7$29.66B
Public order and safety3.2$8.02B
Recreation, culture and religion2.4$6B
Environmental protection2.2$5.6B
Defence1.5$3.83B
Housing and community amenities0.6$1.47B
Social protection$92.49B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age46.2$42.75B
Sickness and disability16.6$15.36B
Family and children11.3$10.45B
Unemployment9.3$8.64B
Survivors8.9$8.21B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.8$5.38B
Housing0.9$859.4M
Social protection n.e.c.0.9$809.25M
R&D Social protection0$25.57M
General public services$38.04B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions37$14.06B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs31.7$12.04B
Basic research15$5.71B
General services12.9$4.9B
Foreign economic aid2.9$1.09B
General public services n.e.c.0.3$128.73M
R&D General public services0.3$114.9M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$110.69K
Health$36.16B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services50.6$18.29B
Outpatient services34.7$12.55B
Medical products, appliances and equipment10.6$3.85B
Health n.e.c.2.3$831.06M
Public health services1.7$610.12M
R&D Health0.1$36.64M
Economic affairs$31.89B
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 affairs49.8$15.9B
Transport39.4$12.56B
R&D Economic affairs4.3$1.38B
Fuel and energy2.1$658.49M
Other industries1.8$561.75M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.3$409.44M
Communication1.1$336.28M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.2$60.22M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.1$27.45M
Education$29.66B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education39.4$11.7B
Pre-primary and primary education32.7$9.71B
Tertiary education13.9$4.12B
Education not definable by level8.3$2.46B
Subsidiary services to education3.8$1.12B
Education n.e.c.1.7$515.93M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.1$26.12M
R&D Education0$4.54M
Public order and safety$8.02B
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$4.85B
Law courts14.6$1.17B
Fire-protection services10.1$807.26M
Prisons8.4$674.99M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.2$501.09M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$16.27M
Recreation, culture and religion$6B
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$2.46B
Recreational and sporting services30.1$1.81B
Broadcasting and publishing services16.7$1B
Religious and other community services7.1$428.37M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.6$216.84M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1.4$82.35M
Environmental protection$5.6B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement44.7$2.51B
Waste management32.3$1.81B
Environmental protection n.e.c.10.3$578.8M
Waste water management6.6$371.7M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape4.8$269.09M
R&D Environmental protection1.2$64.86M
Defence$3.83B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence94.3$3.61B
Foreign military aid4.9$188.73M
R&D Defence0.7$27.78M
Defence n.e.c.0$221.38K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$1.47B
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 development36.1$529.76M
Housing development23.4$342.59M
Street lighting22.4$328.75M
Water supply14.2$207.99M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.3.8$55.79M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.1$1.88M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2016: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2016: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth31.5$76.16B
Social contributions31$74.97B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.5$63.97B
Sales, fees and charges6.2$14.97B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.7$4.13B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.5$3.72B
Other transfers received1.2$2.82B
Subsidies received0.4$890.72M
Taxes on income and wealth$76.16B
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 income97$73.89B
Other taxes on wealth and income3$2.27B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$63.97B
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 tax50.5$32.3B
Not broken down, or fitting no category49.5$31.67B

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 →