Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium

Belgium: Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data was 216 Thousand persons in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
216 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 24.1%
World rank
10th
of 43 countries
All-time high
216 Thousand persons
in 2025
All-time low
41 Thousand persons
in 2009
Years of data
17
2009–2025

Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium, 2009–2025

501001502002009201720252009: 41 Thousand persons2010: 41 Thousand persons2011: 42 Thousand persons2012: 171 Thousand persons2013: 177 Thousand persons2014: 167 Thousand persons2015: 183 Thousand persons2016: 176 Thousand persons2017: 187 Thousand persons2018: 191 Thousand persons2019: 180 Thousand persons2020: 176 Thousand persons2021: 199 Thousand persons2022: 179 Thousand persons2023: 161 Thousand persons2024: 174 Thousand persons2025: 216 Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

In 2025, labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium stood at 216 Thousand persons. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

That represents a change of up 24.1% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium peaked at 216 Thousand persons in 2025 and was at its lowest, 41 Thousand persons, in 2009.

That places Belgium 10th out of 43 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium, 2009 to 2025.
Year Thousand persons Change
2009 41 Thousand persons
2010 41 Thousand persons +0.0%
2011 42 Thousand persons +2.4%
2012 171 Thousand persons +307.1%
2013 177 Thousand persons +3.5%
2014 167 Thousand persons -5.6%
2015 183 Thousand persons +9.6%
2016 176 Thousand persons -3.8%
2017 187 Thousand persons +6.2%
2018 191 Thousand persons +2.1%
2019 180 Thousand persons -5.8%
2020 176 Thousand persons -2.2%
2021 199 Thousand persons +13.1%
2022 179 Thousand persons -10.1%
2023 161 Thousand persons -10.1%
2024 174 Thousand persons +8.1%
2025 216 Thousand persons +24.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 41 Thousand persons 41 Thousand persons 41 Thousand persons 1
2010s 151.5 Thousand persons 41 Thousand persons 191 Thousand persons 10
2020s 184.17 Thousand persons 161 Thousand persons 216 Thousand persons 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 7 Italy 498 Thousand persons compare
  2. 8 Switzerland 229 Thousand persons compare
  3. 9 Sweden 224 Thousand persons compare
  4. 11 Poland 166 Thousand persons compare
  5. 11 Poland 166 Thousand persons compare
  6. 13 Finland 148 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium?
Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium was 216 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest labour market slack by sex and age - annual data recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 216 Thousand persons in 2025.
What is the lowest labour market slack by sex and age - annual data recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 41 Thousand persons in 2009.
How does Belgium rank for labour market slack by sex and age - annual data?
Belgium ranks 10th out of 43 countries with data for 2025.
Is labour market slack by sex and age - annual data rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-market-slack-by-sex-and-age-annual-data/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour market slack by sex and age - annual data
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
46 places, 762 data points, 2003–2025
Last refreshed