Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Belgium
Belgium: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita was 78.6% in 2007. ▲ Rising
Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Belgium, 1846–2007
Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 78.6% for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in 2007. That is the highest value across all 49 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Belgium peaked at 78.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 14.0%, in 1846.
That places Belgium 5th out of 44 countries with data for 2007, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.
Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1846 | 14.0% | — |
| 1856 | 14.6% | +4.3% |
| 1866 | 15.4% | +5.5% |
| 1880 | 21.8% | +41.6% |
| 1890 | 26.4% | +21.1% |
| 1900 | 26.8% | +1.5% |
| 1910 | 26.0% | -3.0% |
| 1920 | 26.3% | +1.2% |
| 1930 | 29.9% | +13.7% |
| 1947 | 34.3% | +14.7% |
| 1961 | 38.9% | +13.4% |
| 1970 | 54.4% | +39.8% |
| 1971 | 55.1% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 56.1% | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 56.6% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 57.2% | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 58.4% | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 59.6% | +2.1% |
| 1977 | 60.8% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 62.0% | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 63.1% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 64.1% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 65.4% | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 66.5% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 67.3% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 67.8% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 68.4% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 69.1% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 69.9% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 70.5% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 70.6% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 70.8% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 71.1% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 71.6% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 72.4% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 72.9% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 73.4% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 74.0% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 74.5% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 74.9% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 75.4% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 75.7% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 75.9% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 76.6% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 77.2% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 77.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 78.0% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 78.3% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 78.6% | +0.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 78.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 72.1%, 1.1× the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 78.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 74.5%, 1.1× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | +41.6% | 15.4% | 21.8% |
| 1970 | +39.8% | 38.9% | 54.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 14.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 14.6% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 1 |
| 1860s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 1 |
| 1880s | 21.8% | 21.8% | 21.8% | 1 |
| 1890s | 26.4% | 26.4% | 26.4% | 1 |
| 1900s | 26.8% | 26.8% | 26.8% | 1 |
| 1910s | 26.0% | 26.0% | 26.0% | 1 |
| 1920s | 26.3% | 26.3% | 26.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 29.9% | 29.9% | 29.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 34.3% | 34.3% | 34.3% | 1 |
| 1960s | 38.9% | 38.9% | 38.9% | 1 |
| 1970s | 58.3% | 54.4% | 63.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.0% | 64.1% | 70.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.1% | 70.8% | 75.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.2% | 75.7% | 78.6% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 2 United States 83.7% compare
- 3 Netherlands 80.8% compare
- 4 United Kingdom 79.1% compare
- 6 Denmark 78.4% compare
- 7 France 77.0% compare
- 8 Argentina 72.9% 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 share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Belgium?
- Share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Belgium was 78.6% in 2007, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 78.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.0% in 1846.
- How does Belgium rank for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita?
- Belgium ranks 5th out of 44 countries with data for 2007.
- Is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita. 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).
About this data
The vertical axis shows historical estimates of the employment share in the service sector. The horizontal axis shows GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.