Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Belgium
Belgium: Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals was 1.82 0-6 scale in 2025. ▲ Rising
Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Belgium, 1985–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in 0-6 scale.
Analysis
The most recent figure for strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Belgium is 1.82 0-6 scale, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Belgium peaked at 1.82 0-6 scale in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.48 0-6 scale, in 2014.
Belgium ranks 23rd of 41 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals in Belgium, year by year
| Year | 0-6 scale | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.56 0-6 scale | — |
| 1986 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.56 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.79 0-6 scale | +11.9% |
| 2011 | 1.79 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.6 0-6 scale | -10.6% |
| 2013 | 1.6 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.48 0-6 scale | -7.4% |
| 2015 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +22.5% |
| 2016 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.82 0-6 scale | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.56 0-6 scale | 1.56 0-6 scale | 1.56 0-6 scale | 5 |
| 1990s | 1.56 0-6 scale | 1.56 0-6 scale | 1.56 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6 0-6 scale | 1.56 0-6 scale | 1.6 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.74 0-6 scale | 1.48 0-6 scale | 1.82 0-6 scale | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.82 0-6 scale | 1.82 0-6 scale | 1.82 0-6 scale | 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 strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Belgium?
- Strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals in Belgium was 1.82 0-6 scale in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 1.82 0-6 scale in 2015.
- What is the lowest strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.48 0-6 scale in 2014.
- How does Belgium rank for strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals?
- Belgium ranks 23rd out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
- Is strictness of employment protection — individual dismissals rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Strictness of employment protection — Individual dismissals (regular contracts). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
The OECD indicators of employment protection are synthetic indicators of the strictness of regulation on dismissals and the use of temporary contracts. For each year, indicators refer to regulation in force on the 1st of January. For more information and full methodology, see OECD Indicators of Employment Protection webpage Last data update: May 2022 OECD statistics contact: ELS.Contact@oecd.org