Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium
Belgium: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 60.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium, 1961–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium stood at 60.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium peaked at 76.0% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 52.1%, in 1981.
That places Belgium 176th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 49 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 76.0% | — |
| 1970 | 71.7% | -5.6% |
| 1977 | 54.3% | -24.3% |
| 1979 | 54.4% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 54.1% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 52.1% | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 65.9% | +26.6% |
| 1984 | 64.4% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 64.5% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 63.8% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 62.6% | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 61.7% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 61.5% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 61.0% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 61.4% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 61.2% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 60.6% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 61.2% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 61.2% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 60.9% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 60.7% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 61.2% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 61.5% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 60.5% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 60.4% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 60.3% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 60.3% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 61.4% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 60.9% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 61.1% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 60.8% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 60.4% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 60.8% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 59.7% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 59.7% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 59.7% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 59.2% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 58.9% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 58.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 59.2% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 59.0% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 59.1% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 58.5% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 59.1% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 59.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 59.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 59.7% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 60.4% | +1.1% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 60.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 69.5%, 87% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 60.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 68.2%, 89% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 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 | +26.6% | 52.1% | 65.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 60.1% | 54.3% | 71.7% | 3 |
| 1980s | 61.2% | 52.1% | 65.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 61.0% | 60.6% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.7% | 60.3% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 58.7% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.5% | 58.5% | 60.4% | 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 labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Belgium was 60.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 76.0% in 1961.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.1% in 1981.
- How does Belgium rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Belgium ranks 176th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.