Share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium
Belgium: Share of employment outside the formal sector was 2.68 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium is 2.68, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 27.8% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium peaked at 5.55 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 2.55, in 2008.
Belgium ranks 75th of 81 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3.75 | — |
| 2008 | 2.55 | -31.9% |
| 2009 | 3.18 | +24.8% |
| 2010 | 2.6 | -18.5% |
| 2011 | 4.79 | +84.4% |
| 2012 | 4.89 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 4.79 | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 5.55 | +15.8% |
| 2015 | 3.4 | -38.8% |
| 2016 | 2.9 | -14.7% |
| 2017 | 3.98 | +37.2% |
| 2018 | 4.12 | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 3.33 | -19.2% |
| 2020 | 2.79 | -16.0% |
| 2021 | 3.07 | +9.8% |
| 2022 | 2.68 | -12.8% |
| 2023 | 3.66 | +36.8% |
| 2024 | 3.71 | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 2.68 | -27.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 2.68 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.33, 50% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 2.68 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.51, 49% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.16 | 2.55 | 3.75 | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.03 | 2.6 | 5.55 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1 | 2.68 | 3.71 | 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 share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium?
- Share of employment outside the formal sector in Belgium was 2.68 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 5.55 in 2014.
- What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.55 in 2008.
- How does Belgium rank for share of employment outside the formal sector?
- Belgium ranks 75th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.