Belgium
Government finance and cost-of-living data from Eurostat — spending, debt, tax, and comparative prices.
Headline stats
Debt peaked at 131.5% GDP in 1995 — now 107.9%.
Government debt
107.9% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 81.7% GDP (2025)
Govt expenditure
54.1% GDP
2024
Budget deficit
5.2% GDP
2025
EU27 avg: 3.1% GDP (2025)
Tax revenue
11.8% GDP
2025
Public sector jobs
1,551k
2024
Tax rates
What Belgium takes — statutory rates and effective burden on workers.
Labour tax wedge
38.8% of labour cost
2025
Top income tax rate
50%
2024
Corporate tax rate
25%
2024
Standard VAT rate
21%
2024
Labour tax wedge: effective % of gross labour cost (salary + employer contributions) going to income tax and social contributions for a single person at average wage. Source: Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate. Statutory rates: OECD Taxing Wages 2024 / EC Taxation Trends 2024.
Comparative prices
Belgium is 12.3% more expensive than the EU average overall (2024). Index: EU27 = 100.
| Category | Price index | vs EU avg |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level | 112.3 | +12.3% |
| Food & non-alcoholic drinks | 105.3 | +5.3% |
| Housing, utilities & energy | 130.8 | +30.8% |
| Restaurants & hotels | 124.2 | +24.2% |
| Transport | 108.4 | +8.4% |
| Health | 120.8 | +20.8% |
| Education | 153.7 | +53.7% |
| Clothing & footwear | 98.2 | -1.8% |
| Recreation & culture | 106.3 | +6.3% |
| Alcohol & tobacco | 124.2 | +24.2% |
| Household furnishings | 104.3 | +4.3% |
| Communication | 168.6 | +68.6% |
| Miscellaneous | 112.7 | +12.7% |
Source: Eurostat prc_ppp_ind. EU27_2020 = 100. Green = cheaper than EU average.
Government debt since 2011
| Year | Debt (% GDP) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 102.8 | — |
| 2012 | 104.4 | +1.6 |
| 2013 | 105.1 | +0.7 |
| 2014 | 106.6 | +1.5 |
| 2015 | 105.7 | -0.9 |
| 2016 | 105.8 | +0.1 |
| 2017 | 102.6 | -3.2 |
| 2018 | 100.2 | -2.4 |
| 2019 | 97.7 | -2.5 |
| 2020 | 111.4 | +13.7 |
| 2021 | 108.7 | -2.7 |
| 2022 | 103.3 | -5.4 |
| 2023 | 102.5 | -0.8 |
| 2024 | 103.9 | +1.4 |
| 2025 | 107.9 | +4 |
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Data sources
| Dataset | Source | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Govt expenditure / debt / deficit | Eurostat gov_10dd_edpt1 | 1995–2025 |
| Tax revenue | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 1995–2025 |
| Public employment (NACE O-Q) | Eurostat nama_10_a64_e | 1995–2024 |
| Tax breakdown (VAT, income, social) | Eurostat gov_10a_taxag | 2000–2023 |
| Labour tax wedge | Eurostat earn_nt_taxrate | 2000–2023 |
| Statutory tax rates (income, corporate, VAT) | OECD / EC Taxation Trends 2024 | 2024 |
| Comparative price levels (13 categories) | Eurostat prc_ppp_ind | 1995–2024 |