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, 2020

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 2020's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$261.77B · 49.5% of GDP
Spending
$309.62B · 58.5% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$47.86B · -9% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2020: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2020: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection38.4$118.84B
Health14.6$45.31B
Economic affairs13.2$40.93B
General public services12.8$39.66B
Education11.2$34.54B
Public order and safety3$9.39B
Environmental protection2.4$7.51B
Recreation, culture and religion2.2$6.7B
Defence1.5$4.73B
Housing and community amenities0.7$2.01B
Social protection$118.84B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age45$53.42B
Sickness and disability16.6$19.67B
Unemployment13.6$16.18B
Family and children10.4$12.31B
Survivors7.2$8.61B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.4$6.36B
Social protection n.e.c.1$1.15B
Housing0.9$1.1B
R&D Social protection0$26.73M
Health$45.31B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services51.4$23.3B
Outpatient services34.3$15.56B
Medical products, appliances and equipment8.8$4B
Health n.e.c.2.5$1.15B
Public health services2.3$1.04B
R&D Health0.6$252.43M
Economic affairs$40.93B
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 affairs52.6$21.52B
Transport38.3$15.66B
R&D Economic affairs4$1.64B
Fuel and energy1.5$596.69M
Other industries1.4$574.98M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.1$445.12M
Communication0.9$363.68M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.2$96.74M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.1$28.21M
General public services$39.66B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs32.8$13.03B
Public debt transactions28.9$11.47B
General services17.4$6.9B
Basic research15.9$6.29B
Foreign economic aid4.5$1.78B
General public services n.e.c.0.4$141.86M
R&D General public services0.1$51.74M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Education$34.54B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education38.4$13.26B
Pre-primary and primary education32.3$11.16B
Tertiary education14.3$4.94B
Education not definable by level9.6$3.31B
Subsidiary services to education3.6$1.25B
Education n.e.c.1.7$589.49M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.1$24.44M
R&D Education0$6.97M
Public order and safety$9.39B
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$5.62B
Law courts13.6$1.27B
Fire-protection services12.5$1.17B
Prisons7.7$724.61M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.2$578.52M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$20.79M
Environmental protection$7.51B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement47.4$3.56B
Waste management29.5$2.22B
Environmental protection n.e.c.9.7$726.32M
Waste water management8.2$613.48M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape4.3$324.38M
R&D Environmental protection0.9$70.36M
Recreation, culture and religion$6.7B
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$2.65B
Recreational and sporting services31.3$2.1B
Broadcasting and publishing services15.4$1.03B
Religious and other community services7.6$510.56M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.5.1$342.43M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1.1$76.07M
Defence$4.73B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence96.8$4.58B
Foreign military aid2.5$116.85M
R&D Defence0.7$33.12M
Defence n.e.c.0$228.44K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$2.01B
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 development36.5$735.81M
Housing development33.4$672.41M
Street lighting18.2$367.56M
Water supply9.6$192.8M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.2.1$42.15M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.2$3.77M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2020: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2020: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social contributions31.9$83.5B
Taxes on income and wealth31.5$82.49B
Taxes on sales, production and imports25.9$67.76B
Sales, fees and charges6.3$16.42B
Other transfers received1.4$3.63B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.3$3.52B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.3$3.38B
Subsidies received0.4$1.06B
Taxes on income and wealth$82.49B
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 income97.3$80.27B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.7$2.22B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$67.76B
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
Not broken down, or fitting no category50.2$34.03B
Value added tax49.8$33.74B

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 →