Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium
Belgium: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 2.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 2.8% for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in 2021.
That represents a change of down 6.3% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium peaked at 3.0% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1989.
Belgium ranks 10th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.0% | — |
| 1981 | 3.0% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 3.0% | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | -7.4% |
| 1984 | 2.6% | -4.7% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | -4.8% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -4.7% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 2.2% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | -5.3% |
| 1995 | 2.2% | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | +14.9% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 2.5% | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +9.4% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 2 |
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 female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Belgium was 2.8% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 3.0% in 1981.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1989.
- How does Belgium rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Belgium ranks 10th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.