Government spending as share of GDP in Belgium
Belgium: Government spending as share of GDP was 54.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Government spending as share of GDP in Belgium, 1835–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 54.5% for government spending as share of gdp in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending as share of gdp in Belgium peaked at 62.2% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 1872.
Belgium ranks 9th of 151 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 6.4% | 6.0% | 6.8% | 5 |
| 1840s | 7.3% | 5.9% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 1850s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 1860s | 5.1% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1870s | 5.9% | 4.5% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 1880s | 7.6% | 6.2% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 1890s | 9.8% | 8.4% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 10.3% | 8.5% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 1910s | 10.6% | 10.2% | 10.8% | 4 |
| 1920s | 25.4% | 19.3% | 31.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 22.0% | 19.1% | 24.3% | 8 |
| 1940s | 29.3% | 19.4% | 36.4% | 5 |
| 1950s | 22.0% | 19.6% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 24.1% | 22.1% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.1% | 42.7% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 57.5% | 52.3% | 62.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 52.3% | 50.1% | 54.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.1% | 48.3% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.9% | 51.8% | 56.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.7% | 52.3% | 58.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP -2.0% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 2.5% (2025)
- GDP per capita 45,146 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 11.2% (2025)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 539.12 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 45,146 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 0.885 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -10.14 billion current LCU (2024)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -10.98 billion current US$ (2024)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 60.55 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending as share of gdp in Belgium?
- Government spending as share of gdp in Belgium was 54.5% in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 1983.
- What is the lowest government spending as share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 1872.
- How does Belgium rank for government spending as share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 9th out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 169 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.