Employees by occupation in Belgium
Belgium: Employees by occupation was 4,370 Thousand persons in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4,370 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
16th
of 47 countries
All-time high
4,370 Thousand persons
in 2025
All-time low
2,768 Thousand persons
in 1984
Years of data
43
1983–2025
Employees by occupation in Belgium, 1983–2025
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 4,370 Thousand persons for employees by occupation in 2025. That is the highest value across all 43 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employees by occupation in Belgium peaked at 4,370 Thousand persons in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,768 Thousand persons, in 1984.
Belgium ranks 16th of 47 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Employees by occupation in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 2,786 Thousand persons | — |
| 1984 | 2,768 Thousand persons | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 2,810 Thousand persons | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 2,848 Thousand persons | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 2,834 Thousand persons | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 2,857 Thousand persons | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 2,896 Thousand persons | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 2,938 Thousand persons | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 3,076 Thousand persons | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 3,096 Thousand persons | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 3,072 Thousand persons | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 3,082 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 3,111 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 3,108 Thousand persons | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 3,176 Thousand persons | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 3,186 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 3,299 Thousand persons | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 3,458 Thousand persons | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 3,424 Thousand persons | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 3,426 Thousand persons | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 3,439 Thousand persons | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 3,535 Thousand persons | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 3,588 Thousand persons | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 3,620 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 3,729 Thousand persons | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 3,810 Thousand persons | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 3,766 Thousand persons | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 3,839 Thousand persons | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 3,861 Thousand persons | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 3,873 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 3,844 Thousand persons | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 3,877 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 3,858 Thousand persons | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 3,904 Thousand persons | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 3,974 Thousand persons | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 4,087 Thousand persons | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 4,142 Thousand persons | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 4,092 Thousand persons | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 4,166 Thousand persons | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 4,238 Thousand persons | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 4,272 Thousand persons | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 4,320 Thousand persons | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 4,370 Thousand persons | +1.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 4,370 Thousand persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2,801 Thousand persons, 1.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 4,370 Thousand persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 3,127 Thousand persons, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2,828 Thousand persons | 2,768 Thousand persons | 2,896 Thousand persons | 7 |
| 1990s | 3,114 Thousand persons | 2,938 Thousand persons | 3,299 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,579 Thousand persons | 3,424 Thousand persons | 3,810 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,926 Thousand persons | 3,839 Thousand persons | 4,142 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,243 Thousand persons | 4,092 Thousand persons | 4,370 Thousand persons | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1676 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1614 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1395 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,349 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,498 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,563 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,061 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employees by occupation in Belgium?
- Employees by occupation in Belgium was 4,370 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest employees by occupation recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 4,370 Thousand persons in 2025.
- What is the lowest employees by occupation recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,768 Thousand persons in 1984.
- How does Belgium rank for employees by occupation?
- Belgium ranks 16th out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employees by occupation rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Employees by occupation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).