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, 2022

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 2022's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$289.43B · 49% of GDP
Spending
$310.33B · 52.5% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$20.94B · -3.5% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2022: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2022: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection38.3$119B
Health14.9$46.09B
General public services12.5$38.7B
Economic affairs12.1$37.55B
Education11.8$36.67B
Public order and safety3.2$10B
Environmental protection2.4$7.34B
Recreation, culture and religion2.3$7.13B
Defence1.8$5.71B
Housing and community amenities0.7$2.16B
Social protection$119B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age47.6$56.59B
Sickness and disability18$21.4B
Family and children10.6$12.66B
Social exclusion n.e.c.8.7$10.32B
Survivors7.2$8.62B
Unemployment5.9$7.05B
Social protection n.e.c.1.1$1.26B
Housing0.9$1.08B
R&D Social protection0$26.54M
Health$46.09B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services48.4$22.31B
Outpatient services36.1$16.62B
Medical products, appliances and equipment9$4.15B
Public health services3.6$1.65B
Health n.e.c.2.3$1.06B
R&D Health0.7$300.84M
General public services$38.7B
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 affairs33.6$13.02B
Public debt transactions25.7$9.96B
General services18.4$7.14B
Basic research17.3$6.69B
Foreign economic aid4.2$1.63B
General public services n.e.c.0.5$204.6M
R&D General public services0.1$57.07M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$210.6K
Economic affairs$37.55B
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 affairs48.2$18.1B
Transport42.4$15.91B
R&D Economic affairs4.5$1.67B
Other industries1.5$557.77M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.2$435.52M
Communication1$384.35M
Fuel and energy1$375.92M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.3$94.45M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.1$20.53M
Education$36.67B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education37.8$13.86B
Pre-primary and primary education32$11.72B
Tertiary education15.2$5.56B
Education not definable by level9.5$3.49B
Subsidiary services to education4$1.47B
Education n.e.c.1.5$541.87M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.1$23.9M
R&D Education0$14.43M
Public order and safety$10B
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$5.98B
Law courts13.6$1.36B
Fire-protection services12.3$1.23B
Prisons7.6$754.79M
Public order and safety n.e.c.6.5$653.49M
R&D Public order and safety0.2$20.64M
Environmental protection$7.34B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement42.1$3.09B
Waste management31.3$2.29B
Environmental protection n.e.c.11.9$869.57M
Waste water management8.3$609.79M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape5.4$395.51M
R&D Environmental protection1.1$77.61M
Recreation, culture and religion$7.13B
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 services41.8$2.98B
Recreational and sporting services31.6$2.25B
Broadcasting and publishing services15.3$1.09B
Religious and other community services6.7$474.17M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.8$267.46M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0.9$62.13M
Defence$5.71B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence95.1$5.43B
Foreign military aid4.3$243.87M
R&D Defence0.6$34.12M
Defence n.e.c.0$210.6K
Civil defence0$0
Housing and community amenities$2.16B
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 development34.9$753.63M
Housing development29.4$634.43M
Street lighting22.1$478.06M
Water supply11.6$249.88M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.1.8$39.7M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.2$4.74M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2022: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2022: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth33.2$96.17B
Social contributions30.4$87.95B
Taxes on sales, production and imports25.2$72.93B
Sales, fees and charges6.3$18.22B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.6$4.73B
Other transfers received1.5$4.45B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.4$4.2B
Subsidies received0.3$780.17M
Taxes on income and wealth$96.17B
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$93.58B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.7$2.6B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$72.93B
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 tax53.1$38.69B
Not broken down, or fitting no category46.9$34.24B

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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