Employment in Belgium
Belgium: Employment was 5,062 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Belgium, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 5,062 for employment in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Belgium peaked at 5,071 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3,745, in 1991.
That places Belgium 82nd out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3,745 | — |
| 1992 | 3,798 | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 3,765 | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 3,761 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 3,803 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 3,806 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 3,849 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 3,864 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 3,991 | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 4,122 | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 4,042 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 4,057 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 4,058 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4,151 | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 4,237 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 4,265 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 4,382 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 4,446 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 4,429 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 4,512 | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 4,536 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 4,547 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 4,549 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 4,560 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 4,571 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 4,610 | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 4,681 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 4,792 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 4,871 | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 4,841 | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 4,885 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 5,008 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 5,039 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 5,071 | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 5,062 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,820 | 3,745 | 3,991 | 9 |
| 2000s | 4,219 | 4,042 | 4,446 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,623 | 4,512 | 4,871 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,984 | 4,841 | 5,071 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 79 Sweden 5,235 compare
- 80 Dominican Republic 5,232 compare
- 81 Rwanda 5,179 compare
- 83 Portugal 4,960 compare
- 84 Azerbaijan 4,902 compare
- 85 Switzerland 4,846 compare
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 employment in Belgium?
- Employment in Belgium was 5,062 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 5,071 in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,745 in 1991.
- How does Belgium rank for employment?
- Belgium ranks 82nd out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.