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Government spending by function in Belgium

Belgium: Government spending by function was 37.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
37.7%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
13th
of 37 countries
All-time high
38.4%
in 2020
All-time low
34.5%
in 2008
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function in Belgium, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 34.6 % of government expenditure2008: 34.5 % of government expenditure2009: 35.1 % of government expenditure2010: 35 % of government expenditure2011: 34.5 % of government expenditure2012: 34.7 % of government expenditure2013: 35.7 % of government expenditure2014: 35.5 % of government expenditure2015: 36.1 % of government expenditure2016: 36.5 % of government expenditure2017: 37.1 % of government expenditure2018: 36.8 % of government expenditure2019: 37.2 % of government expenditure2020: 38.4 % of government expenditure2021: 37.9 % of government expenditure2022: 38.4 % of government expenditure2023: 37.7 % of government expenditure

Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

In 2023, government spending by function in Belgium stood at 37.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in Belgium peaked at 38.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 34.5%, in 2008.

Belgium ranks 13th of 37 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.7% 34.5% 35.1% 3
2010s 35.9% 34.5% 37.2% 10
2020s 38.1% 37.7% 38.4% 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 10 Italy 39.3% compare
  2. 11 Portugal 39.2% compare
  3. 12 Sweden 37.8% compare
  4. 14 Netherlands 37.6% compare
  5. 15 Norway 37.6% compare
  6. 16 Lithuania 37.5% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in Belgium?
Government spending by function in Belgium was 37.7% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 38.4% in 2020.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 34.5% in 2008.
How does Belgium rank for government spending by function?
Belgium ranks 13th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.