Unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium
Belgium: Unemployment rates by citizenship was 6.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
6.2%
Change on year
up 8.8%
World rank
21st
of 47 countries
All-time high
9.5%
in 1996
All-time low
5.4%
in 2019
Years of data
31
1995–2025
Unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium, 1995–2025
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium stood at 6.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.8% on the previous year and down 27.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium peaked at 9.5% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2019.
Belgium ranks 21st of 47 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Percentage | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 9.3% | — |
| 1996 | 9.5% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 9.0% | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 9.3% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 8.7% | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | -24.1% |
| 2001 | 6.2% | -6.1% |
| 2002 | 6.9% | +11.3% |
| 2003 | 7.7% | +11.6% |
| 2004 | 7.4% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 8.5% | +14.9% |
| 2006 | 8.3% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 7.5% | -9.6% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +12.9% |
| 2010 | 8.3% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 7.2% | -13.3% |
| 2012 | 7.6% | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | +10.5% |
| 2014 | 8.5% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 8.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 7.8% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 7.1% | -9.0% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +12.5% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | -11.1% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 5.7% | +3.6% |
| 2025 | 6.2% | +8.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 6.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.0%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 6.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.2% | 8.7% | 9.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 7.4% | 6.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 5.4% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.3% | 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 unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium?
- Unemployment rates by citizenship in Belgium was 6.2% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest unemployment rates by citizenship recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 1996.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates by citizenship recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2019.
- How does Belgium rank for unemployment rates by citizenship?
- Belgium ranks 21st out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates by citizenship rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.1%. 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 Unemployment rates by citizenship. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).