General government final consumption expenditure in Belgium
Belgium: General government final consumption expenditure was 24.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in Belgium, 1970–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for general government final consumption expenditure in Belgium is 24.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in Belgium peaked at 24.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 1970.
Belgium ranks 27th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.8% | — |
| 1971 | 17.8% | +5.9% |
| 1972 | 18.3% | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 18.6% | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 18.9% | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 21.1% | +11.7% |
| 1976 | 21.3% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 21.8% | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 22.6% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 23.0% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 22.9% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 24.1% | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 23.8% | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 23.4% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 23.3% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 22.8% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 22.7% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 22.5% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 21.1% | -6.1% |
| 1989 | 20.5% | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 20.9% | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 21.0% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 21.3% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 21.1% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 21.3% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 21.7% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 21.2% | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 21.1% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 21.3% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 21.0% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 21.3% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 22.1% | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 22.5% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 22.2% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 21.9% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 21.6% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 22.7% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 24.1% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 24.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 24.1% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 23.7% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 23.3% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 23.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 23.0% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 24.2% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 23.8% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 23.4% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 23.4% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 23.7% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 24.0% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 20.0% | 16.8% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.7% | 20.5% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.1% | 20.2% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.2% | 21.0% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 23.0% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.7% | 23.4% | 24.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate -1.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.6677 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current LCU), per capita 40,564 current LCU per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -0.2874 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5859 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 35,593 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 6.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2389 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in Belgium?
- General government final consumption expenditure in Belgium was 24.0% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 24.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 1970.
- How does Belgium rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- Belgium ranks 27th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.