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, 2024

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 2024's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$333.47B · 49.7% of GDP
Spending
$362.92B · 54.1% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
-$29.49B · -4.4% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Belgium, 2024: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Belgium, 2024: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection37.7$136.97B
Health14.8$53.67B
General public services13.2$47.96B
Economic affairs11.9$43.14B
Education11.7$42.52B
Public order and safety3.2$11.53B
Defence2.4$8.6B
Recreation, culture and religion2.3$8.17B
Environmental protection2.1$7.77B
Housing and community amenities0.7$2.6B
Social protection$136.97B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age49.8$68.17B
Sickness and disability19.2$26.25B
Family and children10.7$14.62B
Survivors7$9.53B
Social exclusion n.e.c.6$8.2B
Unemployment5.2$7.12B
Housing1.1$1.55B
Social protection n.e.c.1.1$1.48B
R&D Social protection0$32.04M
Health$53.67B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Hospital services47.1$25.29B
Outpatient services38.4$20.61B
Medical products, appliances and equipment9.4$5.06B
Health n.e.c.2.3$1.21B
Public health services2.1$1.15B
R&D Health0.7$349.83M
General public services$47.96B
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$15.67B
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs28.6$13.73B
General services18.9$9.07B
Basic research16$7.65B
Foreign economic aid3.2$1.53B
General public services n.e.c.0.5$238.24M
R&D General public services0.1$63M
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$216.48K
Economic affairs$43.14B
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 affairs46.1$19.89B
Transport44$18.98B
R&D Economic affairs4.2$1.83B
Other industries2.1$890.17M
Fuel and energy1.2$516.3M
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting1.1$458.94M
Communication0.7$314.65M
Economic affairs n.e.c.0.5$207.5M
Mining, manufacturing and construction0.1$47.19M
Education$42.52B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education37.9$16.11B
Pre-primary and primary education31.4$13.36B
Tertiary education15.2$6.48B
Education not definable by level9.3$3.94B
Subsidiary services to education4.4$1.88B
Education n.e.c.1.5$658.64M
Post-secondary non-tertiary education0.2$71.65M
R&D Education0$18.29M
Public order and safety$11.53B
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 services58.5$6.75B
Law courts13.7$1.58B
Fire-protection services11.6$1.34B
Prisons8.5$974.16M
Public order and safety n.e.c.7.4$854.12M
R&D Public order and safety0.3$31.82M
Defence$8.6B
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence87.2$7.5B
Foreign military aid12.3$1.06B
R&D Defence0.5$44.16M
Defence n.e.c.0$216.48K
Civil defence0$0
Recreation, culture and religion$8.17B
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 services43.3$3.54B
Recreational and sporting services28.5$2.33B
Broadcasting and publishing services15.8$1.29B
Religious and other community services7.8$636.45M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.3.6$296.9M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion1$77.93M
Environmental protection$7.77B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Pollution abatement36.7$2.85B
Waste management32.9$2.55B
Environmental protection n.e.c.13.4$1.04B
Waste water management9.6$743.83M
Protection of biodiversity and landscape6.3$490M
R&D Environmental protection1.1$89.3M
Housing and community amenities$2.6B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Housing development40$1.04B
Community development30.2$785.28M
Street lighting18.3$475.71M
Water supply6.6$172.1M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.4.6$120.69M
R&D Housing and community amenities0.2$4.87M

Where the money comes from

Belgium, 2024: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Belgium, 2024: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth34$113.37B
Social contributions30.6$102.2B
Taxes on sales, production and imports23.8$79.28B
Sales, fees and charges6.4$21.33B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)2$6.55B
Other transfers received1.6$5.43B
Capital transfers and taxes received1.4$4.54B
Subsidies received0.2$779.76M
Taxes on income and wealth$113.37B
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 income97.4$110.37B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.6$3B
Taxes on sales, production and imports$79.28B
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 tax51.6$40.95B
Not broken down, or fitting no category48.4$38.33B

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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