Employment outside the formal sector in Belgium
Belgium: Employment outside the formal sector was 130.93 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Employment outside the formal sector in Belgium, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 130.93 for employment outside the formal sector in 2025.
That represents a change of down 26.3% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment outside the formal sector in Belgium peaked at 244.63 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 109.2, in 2008.
That places Belgium 61st out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Employment outside the formal sector in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 158.78 | — |
| 2008 | 109.2 | -31.2% |
| 2009 | 137.01 | +25.5% |
| 2010 | 110.58 | -19.3% |
| 2011 | 205.38 | +85.7% |
| 2012 | 213.01 | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 209.7 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 244.63 | +16.7% |
| 2015 | 148.68 | -39.2% |
| 2016 | 126.63 | -14.8% |
| 2017 | 177.59 | +40.2% |
| 2018 | 188.9 | +6.4% |
| 2019 | 153.03 | -19.0% |
| 2020 | 130.2 | -14.9% |
| 2021 | 144.18 | +10.7% |
| 2022 | 127.01 | -11.9% |
| 2023 | 175.35 | +38.1% |
| 2024 | 177.68 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 130.93 | -26.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 135 | 109.2 | 158.78 | 3 |
| 2010s | 177.81 | 110.58 | 244.63 | 10 |
| 2020s | 147.56 | 127.01 | 177.68 | 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 employment outside the formal sector in Belgium?
- Employment outside the formal sector in Belgium was 130.93 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 244.63 in 2014.
- What is the lowest employment outside the formal sector recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 109.2 in 2008.
- How does Belgium rank for employment outside the formal sector?
- Belgium ranks 61st out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.