Labor force participation rate in Belgium
Belgium: Labor force participation rate was 54.27 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
54.27
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
143rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
54.58
in 2022
All-time low
48.26
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Belgium, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force participation rate in Belgium is 54.27, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Belgium peaked at 54.58 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 48.26, in 1990.
That places Belgium 143rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 48.26 | — |
| 1991 | 49.19 | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 49.52 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 49.62 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 50.23 | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 50.44 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 50.4 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 50.49 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 50.74 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 51.87 | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 52.24 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 50.79 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 51.1 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 51.26 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 51.95 | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 53.29 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 53.11 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 53.66 | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 53.7 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 53.51 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 54.16 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 53.3 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 53.33 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 53.62 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 53.58 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 53.37 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 53.16 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 53.34 | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 53.67 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 53.9 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 53.38 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 54.05 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 54.58 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 54.41 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 54.54 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 54.27 | -0.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 54.27 is below the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 87% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 54.27 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.08 | 48.26 | 51.87 | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.46 | 50.79 | 53.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.54 | 53.16 | 54.16 | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.2 | 53.38 | 54.58 | 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 in Belgium?
- Labor force participation rate in Belgium was 54.27 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 54.58 in 2022.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.26 in 1990.
- How does Belgium rank for labor force participation rate?
- Belgium ranks 143rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. 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 Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).