Economy Overview
This modern, open, and private-enterprise-based economy has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the more heavily-populated region of Flanders in the north. With few natural resources, Belgium imports substantial quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactures, making its economy vulnerable to volatility in world markets. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries, and Belgium has benefited most from its proximity to Germany. In 2011 Belgian GDP grew by 1.8%, the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 7.2% from 8.3% the previous year, and the government reduced the budget deficit from a peak of 6% of GDP in 2009 to 4.2% in 2011 and 3.3% in 2012. Despite the relative improvement in Belgium's budget deficit, public debt hovers around 100% of GDP, a factor that has contributed to investor perceptions that the country is increasingly vulnerable to spillover from the euro-zone crisis. Belgian banks were severely affected by the international financial crisis in 2008 with three major banks receiving capital injections from the government, and the nationalization of the Belgian retail arm of a Franco-Belgian bank.
Agriculture Products
sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk
Industrial Production Growth Rate
5.6% (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 58
Labor Force
5.055 million (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 74
Unemployment Rate
7.6% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 87 7.2% (2011 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line
15.2% (2007 est.)
Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share
Lowest 10%: 3.4%
Highest 10%: 28.4% (2006)
Distribution of Family Income Gini Index
28 (2005)country comparison to the world: 121 28.7 (1996)
Budget
Revenues: $227.3 billion
Expenditures: $243.2 billion (2012 est.)
Public Debt
101.1% of GDP (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 15 98% of GDP (2011 est.) note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment. debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.
Central Bank Discount Rate
1.5% (31 December 2012)country comparison to the world: 121 1.75% (31 December 2010) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate
Stock of Narrow Money
$168.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 22 $170.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
Stock of Broad Money
$543.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 22 $547.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Domestic Credit
$542.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 25 $559.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Market Value of Publicly Traded Shares
$229.9 billion (31 December 2011)country comparison to the world: 30 $269.3 billion (31 December 2010) $261.4 billion (31 December 2009)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
$29.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 50 $26.81 billion (2010 est.)
Debt External
$1.399 trillion (30 June 2011)country comparison to the world: 13 $1.241 trillion (30 June 2010)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment at Home
$1.184 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 4 $1.095 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad
$999.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 8 $951.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Exchange Rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -0.7838 (2012 est.) 0.7185 (2011 est.) 755 (2010 est.) 0.7198 (2009 est.) 0.6827 (2008 est.)
