Labor force participation rate by age in Belgium
Belgium: Labor force participation rate by age was 31.85 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
31.85
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
130th
of 188 countries
All-time high
36.51
in 1991
All-time low
28.1
in 2017
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Labor force participation rate by age in Belgium, 1990–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 31.85 for labor force participation rate by age in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate by age in Belgium peaked at 36.51 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 28.1, in 2017.
Belgium ranks 130th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate by age in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 35.58 | — |
| 1991 | 36.51 | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 36.22 | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 34.44 | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 35.2 | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 33.88 | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 32.77 | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 32.03 | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 32.63 | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 32.87 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 35.73 | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 33.61 | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 33.83 | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 33.51 | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 34.02 | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 35.02 | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 34.7 | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 33.87 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 33.4 | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 32.44 | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 32.51 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 31.99 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 31.49 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 31 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 30.2 | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 30.01 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 28.47 | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 28.1 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 29.64 | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 30.99 | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 28.44 | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 30.26 | +6.4% |
| 2022 | 31.07 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 31.58 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 31.85 | +0.9% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 31.85 is below the median for high income countries, which is 40.59, 78% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 31.85 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 37.06, 86% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.21 | 32.03 | 36.51 | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.01 | 32.44 | 35.73 | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.44 | 28.1 | 32.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.64 | 28.44 | 31.85 | 5 |
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 labor force participation rate by age in Belgium?
- Labor force participation rate by age in Belgium was 31.85 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 36.51 in 1991.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate by age recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1 in 2017.
- How does Belgium rank for labor force participation rate by age?
- Belgium ranks 130th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force participation rate by age rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).