Employment by status in Belgium
Belgium: Employment by status was 85.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
85.3%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
42nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
85.8%
in 2008
All-time low
82.0%
in 1996
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Belgium, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 85.3% for employment by status in 2024.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Belgium peaked at 85.8% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 82.0%, in 1996.
That places Belgium 42nd out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 82.4% | 82.0% | 82.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 84.9% | 84.0% | 85.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.3% | 84.8% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.1% | 84.5% | 85.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 54.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 74.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 59.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 49.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 71.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 67.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Belgium?
- Employment by status in Belgium was 85.3% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 85.8% in 2008.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.0% in 1996.
- How does Belgium rank for employment by status?
- Belgium ranks 42nd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.