Fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium
Belgium: Fertility and female labor force participation was 51.6 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium, 1961–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 51.6 for fertility and female labor force participation in 2025. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium peaked at 51.6 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 25.53, in 1961.
That places Belgium 118th out of 194 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 25.53 | — |
| 1970 | 28.13 | +10.2% |
| 1977 | 28.74 | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 30.21 | +5.1% |
| 1980 | 30.68 | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 28.5 | -7.1% |
| 1983 | 36.29 | +27.3% |
| 1984 | 36.07 | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 36.46 | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 36.94 | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 36.56 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 36.45 | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 36.21 | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 36.55 | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 38.01 | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 38.9 | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 39.58 | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 40.16 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 40.53 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 40.55 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 41 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 41.66 | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 43.17 | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 43.65 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 41.87 | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 42.57 | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 42.95 | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 44.25 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 45.69 | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 45.82 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 46.53 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 46.91 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 46.95 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 47.71 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 47.03 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 47.1 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 47.77 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 48.08 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 48.01 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 47.78 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 48.72 | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 49.52 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 49.83 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 49.33 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 50.03 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 50.8 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 50.69 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 50.69 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 51.6 | +1.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 51.6 is below the median for high income countries, which is 57.22, 90% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 51.6 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.9, 91% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | +27.3% | 28.5 | 36.29 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 25.53 | 25.53 | 25.53 | 1 |
| 1970s | 29.02 | 28.13 | 30.21 | 3 |
| 1980s | 34.91 | 28.5 | 36.94 | 9 |
| 1990s | 40.01 | 36.55 | 43.17 | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.72 | 41.87 | 46.95 | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.15 | 47.03 | 49.83 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.52 | 49.33 | 51.6 | 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 fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium?
- Fertility and female labor force participation in Belgium was 51.6 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility and female labor force participation recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6 in 2025.
- What is the lowest fertility and female labor force participation recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.53 in 1961.
- How does Belgium rank for fertility and female labor force participation?
- Belgium ranks 118th out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is fertility and female labor force participation rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility and female labor force participation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 49 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).