Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium
Belgium: Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social was 37.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 37.7% for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium peaked at 38.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.0%, in 2005.
That places Belgium 18th out of 127 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.3% | — |
| 2001 | 33.8% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 34.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 34.1% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 35.0% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 35.0% | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 34.6% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 34.5% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 35.2% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 35.0% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 34.5% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 34.7% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 35.7% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 35.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 36.1% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 37.1% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 36.8% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 37.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 38.4% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 37.9% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 38.4% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 37.7% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.3% | 33.0% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 34.5% | 37.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 37.7% | 38.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 15 Republic of Moldova 38.2% compare
- 15 Republic of Moldova 38.2% compare
- 17 Sweden 37.8% compare
- 19 Lithuania 37.6% compare
- 20 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 37.6% compare
- 21 Norway 37.6% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Belgium
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.38 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,486 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 42.58 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 42.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in Belgium was 37.7% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 38.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.0% in 2005.
- How does Belgium rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- Belgium ranks 18th out of 127 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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