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.
Employment by status in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 82.7% | — |
| 1992 | 82.1% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 82.1% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 82.3% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 82.1% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 82.0% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 82.8% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 82.6% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 82.7% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 84.0% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 84.8% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 84.6% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 84.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 85.3% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 84.8% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 84.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 85.2% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 85.8% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 85.2% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 85.6% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 85.7% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 85.7% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 84.9% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 84.8% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 85.2% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 85.5% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 85.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 85.2% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 84.5% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 85.5% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 84.7% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 85.3% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 85.3% | +0.1% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 85.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 98% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 85.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
- 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 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.
Download this data
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.