Refugees
245,118refugees and others in need of protection hosted, 2025
182from it, abroad, 2025
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder2025
Country page · Updated 13 Nov 2026
Belgium
Belgium has 12 m people (World Bank, 2025) and an economy of $725 bn a year (World Bank, 2025). It imports all of the rice it uses (FAOSTAT, 2024) and all of the gas it uses (EIA, 2024, preliminary).
Written automatically from the figures on this page.
- Population
- 12 m (2025)
- Member of
- European Union, NATO, OECD (as of 10 Nov 2026)
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m, which shows who controls an area in practice. Borders shown do not imply endorsement.
- GDPUS$725billion22nd of 186World Bank · 2025
- Population12million81st of 216World Bank · 2025
- GDP per personUS$60,75015th of 186World Bank · 2025
- Military, % GDP2.0% of GDP60th of 150World Bank · 2025
- CO2 per person7.3t38th of 213Global Carbon Budget · 2024
Dependencies at a glance
Belgium imports all of the rice it uses and all of the gas it uses; it exports phosphate.
Imports mostImports someLow net tradeExporter
| Resource | Dependence | Position | Main partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | Imports most | Imports 96% of the oil it uses PreliminaryEIA, use 2025 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025. More than the Netherlands’ own output in 2025 (21k b/d, EIA): Belgium’s customs records this origin, which can include oil shipped on from elsewhere. | Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway |
| Natural gas | Imports most | Imports all of the gas it uses PreliminaryEIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | Norway, France, Russia |
| Wheat | Imports most | Imports 77% of the wheat it usesFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | France, Germany, Netherlands |
| Maize | Imports most | Imports 77% of the maize it usesFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | France, Ukraine, Poland |
| Rice | Imports most | Imports all of the rice it usesFAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023 | Myanmar, Spain, Pakistan |
| Soybeans | Not reported by this source | – | |
| Potash | Imports most | Imports all of its potash supply EstimateFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025 | Canada, Germany, Jordan |
| Phosphate | Exporter | Exports exceed recorded supply EstimateGoods passing through, or changes in stocks, can cause this; FAOSTAT’s figures do not show whichFAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025 | Germany, France, Netherlands (buyers) |
| Arms | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: United States, 54% of importsSIPRI, 2021–2025 | United States, Spain, France |
| Chips | Supplier concentration only | Main supplier: Ireland, 66% of importsUN Comtrade, 2025 | Ireland, Taiwan, China |
Dependence is net imports: imports minus exports, as a share of what the country uses; for potash and phosphate, of its supply (production plus net imports). Arms and chips show supplier concentration only: the main supplier’s share of imports (arms: five-year totals of deliveries in SIPRI’s trend-indicator value, SIPRI’s measure of military capability delivered, not price or number of weapons).
- OilImports most
Imports 96% of the oil it uses Preliminary
Main partners: Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway
EIA, use 2025 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025. More than the Netherlands’ own output in 2025 (21k b/d, EIA): Belgium’s customs records this origin, which can include oil shipped on from elsewhere.
- Natural gasImports most
Imports all of the gas it uses Preliminary
Main partners: Norway, France, Russia
EIA, use 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- WheatImports most
Imports 77% of the wheat it uses
Main partners: France, Germany, Netherlands
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- MaizeImports most
Imports 77% of the maize it uses
Main partners: France, Ukraine, Poland
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- RiceImports most
Imports all of the rice it uses
Main partners: Myanmar, Spain, Pakistan
FAOSTAT, use 2024 · FAOSTAT, imports 2023
- Soybeans
Not reported by this source
- PotashImports most
Imports all of its potash supply Estimate
Main partners: Canada, Germany, Jordan
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, imports 2025
- PhosphateExporter
Exports exceed recorded supply Estimate
Goods passing through, or changes in stocks, can cause this; FAOSTAT’s figures do not show which
Main partners: Germany, France, Netherlands (buyers)
FAOSTAT, supply 2024 · UN Comtrade, exports 2025
- ArmsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: United States, 54% of imports
Main partners: United States, Spain, France
SIPRI, 2021–2025
- ChipsSupplier concentration only
Main supplier: Ireland, 66% of imports
Main partners: Ireland, Taiwan, China
UN Comtrade, 2025
Source: EIA; FAOSTAT; SIPRI; UN Comtradeyear in each rowUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Dependencies toolMoney and reserves
Belgium’s economy produced $725 bn in 2025.
GDP, 2000–2025
Source: World Bank Indicators2000–2025Updated 13 Nov 2026
Economic growth1.0%2025 · 161st of 186 · World Bank
Inflation2.5%2025 · 94th of 169 · World Bank
Unemployment5.9%2025 · 75th of 181 · World Bank
ReservesUS$42.3billion2024 · 49th of 164 · World Bank
Trade159% of GDP2024 · 13th of 172 · World Bank
Foreign investment in−US$28.8billion2025 · 198th of 200 · World Bank
US Treasury securities held
US Treasury securities heldUS$491bn2026-08; US$451bn a year earlier
Source: US Treasury TIC2026-08Updated 13 Nov 2026
People
Belgium had 12 m people in 2025.
Population, 1950–2100
Projection: UN projection, medium variant, after 2023Range between the UN low- and high-fertility scenarios
Source: UN World Population ProspectsUpdated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Belgium’s population by age
1950200020502100
Source: UN World Population Prospects1950–2100Updated 13 Nov 2026Projection
Births per woman1.382023 · 197th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Median age41.42023 · 45th of 237 · UN WPP 2024
Aged 65 and over21%2025, Projection, medium variant · UN WPP 2024
Technology and space
Satellites owned in Belgium numbered 10 at the end of 2026.
Notable AI models12018 · Epoch AI
Climate and hazards
Belgium emitted 85.5 Mt of CO2 from fossil fuels and cement in 2024.
Belgium’s CO2 emissions, million tonnes, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data CO21990–2024Updated 13 Nov 2026
CO2 emissions85Mt2024 · 43rd of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 per person7.3t2024 · 38th of 213 · Global Carbon Budget
CO2 since 175012,906Mt2024 · 23rd of 214 · Global Carbon Budget
Water stress4.42023 · 18th of 164 · WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)
More figures
Shown only where a source covers Belgium.
Sanctions
41entries on the US, EU and UK lists give it as an address or nationality: US 30, EU 4 and UK 7
Counts entries (people, companies, ships and aircraft), not how strict the measures are.
Source: US CSL; EU sanctions list; UK Sanctions ListUpdated 13 Nov 2026
Cyber incidents
50publicly known incidents affecting Belgium, 2000–2024
Counts compare documented incidents, not how often a country is targeted. Who they were attributed to
Source: EuRepoC Global Dataset of Cyber Incidents 1.3.2 (4 Mar 2025), CC BY-NC 4.02000–2024
All figures
53 measures on this site have a recent figure for Belgium.
| GDP | $725 bn | 2025 | 22nd of 186 | World Bank |
| GDP per person | $60,750 | 2025 | 15th of 186 | World Bank |
| Economic growth | 1.0% | 2025 | 161st of 186 | World Bank |
| Inflation | 2.5% | 2025 | 94th of 169 | World Bank |
| Government debt | 108% | 2025 | 15th of 191 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Government budget balance | −5.2% | 2025 | 156th of 195 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Current account balance | −1.9% | 2025 | 103rd of 194 | IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 |
| Unemployment | 5.9% | 2025 | 75th of 181 | World Bank |
| Reserves, including gold | $42 bn | 2024 | 49th of 164 | World Bank |
| Trade | 159% | 2024 | 13th of 172 | World Bank |
| Foreign investment in | −$29 bn | 2025 | 198th of 200 | World Bank |
| Remittances received | 2.3% | 2024 | 82nd of 162 | World Bank |
| Population | 12 m | 2025 | 81st of 216 | World Bank |
| Population with UN projections | 12 m | 2023 | 81st of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Births per woman | 1.38 | 2023 | 197th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Median age | 41.4 | 2023 | 45th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 82.1 | 2023 | 35th of 237 | UN WPP 2024 |
| Refugees from the country | 182 | 2025 | 162nd of 206 | UNHCR |
| Refugees and others needing protection, by host | 245,118 | 2025 | 39th of 176 | UNHCR |
| Refugees hosted per 1,000 people | 20.5 | 2025 | 33rd of 176 | UNHCR |
| Crude oil production | 0 kb/d | 2025 | 100th of 214 | EIA |
| Oil consumption | 602 kb/d | 2024 | 31st of 212 | EIA |
| Natural gas production | Preliminary | 2024 | 88th of 213 | EIA |
| Natural gas consumption | 14.1 bcm | 2024 | 44th of 213 | EIA |
| Electricity generated | 76 TWh | 2024 | 47th of 193 | Ember |
| Low-carbon electricity | 76% | 2024 | 43rd of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from coal | 0% | 2024 | 82nd of 193 | Ember |
| Electricity from wind and solar | 30% | 2024 | 21st of 193 | Ember |
| Wheat production | 1.1 Mt | 2024 | 51st of 123 | FAOSTAT |
| Wheat imports | 3.8 Mt | 2024 | 20th of 180 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize production | 0.5 Mt | 2024 | 78th of 169 | FAOSTAT |
| Maize imports | 1.8 Mt | 2024 | 26th of 196 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice production | 0.0 Mt | 2024 | 116th of 135 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice imports | 0.9 Mt | 2024 | 17th of 197 | FAOSTAT |
| Soybean imports | 0.3 Mt | 2024 | 32nd of 179 | FAOSTAT |
| Potash fertiliser use | 0.05 Mt | 2024 | 52nd of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| Phosphate fertiliser use | 0.01 Mt | 2024 | 98th of 199 | FAOSTAT |
| CO2 emissions | 85 Mt | 2024 | 43rd of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 per person | 7.3 t | 2024 | 38th of 213 | Global Carbon Budget |
| CO2 emitted since 1750 | 12,906 Mt | 2024 | 23rd of 214 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Net CO2 imports through trade | 132% | 2023 | 9th of 120 | Global Carbon Budget |
| Water stress | 4.4 | 2023 | 18th of 164 | WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0) |
| Water from abroad | 34% | 2023 | 56th of 193 | FAO AQUASTAT |
| Military spending, share of GDP | 2.0% | 2025 | 60th of 150 | World Bank |
| Military spending | $15 bn | 2025 | 27th of 150 | World Bank |
| Deaths in organised violence | 2 | 2023 | 59th of 66 | UCDP |
| Arms imports | 430 TIV m | 2025 | 25th of 108 | SIPRI |
| Arms exports | 86 TIV m | 2025 | 26th of 44 | SIPRI |
| Satellites in orbit | 10 | 2026 | 36th of 81 | Orbital data from CelesTrak |
| People using the internet | 96% | 2024 | 20th of 182 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports | $22 bn | 2024 | 15th of 162 | World Bank |
| ICT service exports, share of service exports | 15% | 2024 | 34th of 162 | World Bank |
| Sanctions list entries (US, EU, UK) | 41 | 2026 | 65th of 181 | US CSL |
Sources for this page
- World Bank IndicatorsGDP, GDP per person, Economic growth, Inflation, Unemployment, Reserves, …
- IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026Debt, Budget balance, Current account
- UN World Population ProspectsPopulation (UN), Births per woman, Median age, Life expectancy
- UNHCR Refugee Data FinderRefugees from, Refugees hosted, Refugees per 1,000
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationOil output, Oil use, Gas output, Gas use, Dependencies at a glance
- Ember electricity dataElectricity, Low-carbon electricity, Electricity from coal, Electricity from wind and solar
- FAOSTATWheat production, Wheat imports, Maize production, Maize imports, Rice production, Rice imports, …
- Our World in Data CO2CO2 emissions, CO2 per person, CO2 since 1750, Net CO2 imports through trade
- WRI Aqueduct, accessed on 25 Oct 2026, aqueduct.wri.org (CC BY 4.0)Water stress
- FAO AQUASTATWater from abroad
- UCDP Georeferenced Event DatasetConflict deaths
- SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabaseArms imports, Arms exports, Dependencies at a glance
- CelesTrak SATCATSatellites in orbit
- US Consolidated Screening ListSanctions list entries, Sanctions
- UN ComtradeDependencies at a glance
- EU financial sanctions listSanctions
- UK Sanctions ListSanctions
- EuRepoC cyber incidentsCyber incidents
Page last updated 13 Nov 2026How we measure