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, 2018

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 2018's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$278.94B · 51.5% of GDP
Spending
$284.63B · 52.5% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$5.69B · -1% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2018: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection36.8$104.82B
Health14.4$41.06B
General public services13.8$39.33B
Economic affairs12.7$36.19B
Education11.8$33.69B
Public order and safety3.3$9.29B
Recreation, culture and religion2.5$7.25B
Environmental protection2.5$7.01B
Defence1.4$4.11B
Housing and community amenities0.7$1.88B
Social protection$104.82B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age47.8$50.15B
Sickness and disability17.3$18.18B
Family and children11.2$11.73B
Survivors8.4$8.84B
Unemployment7.6$7.98B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.7$5.98B
Housing1.1$1.12B
Social protection n.e.c.0.8$802.73M
R&D Social protection0$28.11M
Health$41.06B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services49.3$20.24B
Outpatient services36.1$14.82B
Medical products, appliances and equipment10.2$4.18B
Health n.e.c.2.3$955.67M
Public health services1.7$700.21M
R&D Health0.4$158.61M
General public services$39.33B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Public debt transactions32.7$12.88B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs30.8$12.1B
General services16$6.29B
Basic research15.6$6.15B
Foreign economic aid4.3$1.71B
General public services n.e.c.0.4$157.07M
R&D General public services0.1$50.9M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$118.1K
Economic affairs$36.19B
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 affairs48.3$17.47B
Transport42.3$15.31B
R&D Economic affairs3.9$1.39B
Other industries1.8$642.82M
Fuel and energy1.4$489.52M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.2$421.26M
Communication1$376.74M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.1$49.48M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.1$43.82M
Education$33.69B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education38.4$12.95B
Pre-primary and primary education32.5$10.96B
Tertiary education14.1$4.74B
Education not definable by level9.5$3.18B
Subsidiary services to education3.6$1.22B
Education n.e.c.1.8$602.19M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.1$32.48M
R&D Education0$2.95M
Public order and safety$9.29B
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 services59.8$5.56B
Law courts13.6$1.26B
Fire-protection services12.3$1.14B
Prisons7.8$722.42M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.4$590.85M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$17.36M
Recreation, culture and religion$7.25B
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$2.88B
Recreational and sporting services33.4$2.42B
Broadcasting and publishing services15.4$1.11B
Religious and other community services6.6$480.79M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.7$269.03M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1.2$85.74M
Environmental protection$7.01B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement46.5$3.26B
Waste management31.2$2.19B
Environmental protection n.e.c.9.7$677.54M
Waste water management7.3$513.03M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape3.8$267.73M
R&D Environmental protection1.5$104.05M
Defence$4.11B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence95.8$3.94B
Foreign military aid3.4$140.89M
R&D Defence0.8$32.36M
Defence n.e.c.0$236.2K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$1.88B
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 development40.4$758.67M
Housing development25.7$482.32M
Street lighting21.6$404.85M
Water supply9.5$177.98M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.2.6$48.3M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.2$3.78M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2018: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth32.7$91.16B
Social contributions30.2$84.27B
Taxes on sales, production and imports26.1$72.77B
Sales, fees and charges6.2$17.29B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.8$4.93B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.5$4.09B
Other transfers received1.2$3.45B
Subsidies received0.4$976.92M
Taxes on income and wealth$91.16B
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 income97.2$88.63B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.8$2.53B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$72.77B
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 tax51.2$37.25B
Not broken down, or fitting no category48.8$35.52B

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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