Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium

Belgium: Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total was 58.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
58.0%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
21st
of 44 countries
All-time high
73.0%
in 2000
All-time low
58.0%
in 2020
Years of data
23
1998–2020

Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium, 1998–2020

0204060801998200920201998: 71.8 Percentage1999: 65.5 Percentage2000: 73 Percentage2001: 67.4 Percentage2002: 66.9 Percentage2003: 67.8 Percentage2004: 69.1 Percentage2005: 65.2 Percentage2006: 64.6 Percentage2007: 65.5 Percentage2008: 69.5 Percentage2009: 63.6 Percentage2010: 66.4 Percentage2011: 66.3 Percentage2012: 67.8 Percentage2013: 64.5 Percentage2014: 66.7 Percentage2015: 67.2 Percentage2016: 67 Percentage2017: 66.5 Percentage2018: 61.5 Percentage2019: 59.4 Percentage2020: 58 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

In 2020, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium stood at 58.0%. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium peaked at 73.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 58.0%, in 2020.

That places Belgium 21st out of 44 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total unemployment - quarterly data in Belgium, 1998 to 2020.
Year Percentage Change
1998 71.8%
1999 65.5% -8.8%
2000 73.0% +11.5%
2001 67.4% -7.7%
2002 66.9% -0.7%
2003 67.8% +1.3%
2004 69.1% +1.9%
2005 65.2% -5.6%
2006 64.6% -0.9%
2007 65.5% +1.4%
2008 69.5% +6.1%
2009 63.6% -8.5%
2010 66.4% +4.4%
2011 66.3% -0.2%
2012 67.8% +2.3%
2013 64.5% -4.9%
2014 66.7% +3.4%
2015 67.2% +0.7%
2016 67.0% -0.3%
2017 66.5% -0.7%
2018 61.5% -7.5%
2019 59.4% -3.4%
2020 58.0% -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 68.7% 65.5% 71.8% 2
2000s 67.3% 63.6% 73.0% 10
2010s 65.3% 59.4% 67.8% 10
2020s 58.0% 58.0% 58.0% 1

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 20 Iceland 58.2% compare
  2. 22 Poland 57.1% compare
  3. 22 Poland 57.1% compare
  4. 24 France 57.0% compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium?
Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium was 58.0% in 2020, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 73.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 58.0% in 2020.
How does Belgium rank for unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total?
Belgium ranks 21st out of 44 countries with data for 2020.
Is unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total unemployment - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployed-persons-by-methods-used-for-seeking-work-percent-of-total-unemployment/belgium/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployed-persons-by-methods-used-for-seeking-work-percent-of-total-unemployment/belgium/">Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total in Belgium</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployed persons by methods used for seeking work - % of total unemployment - quarterly data
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
46 places, 991 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed