Government spending by function in Belgium
Belgium: Government spending by function was 37.7% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending by function in Belgium, 2007–2023
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.
Government spending by function in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 34.6% | — |
| 2008 | 34.5% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 35.0% | -0.3% |
| 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 | 37.2% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 38.4% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 37.9% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 38.4% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 37.7% | -1.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 37.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 37.5%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 37.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 36.4%, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
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.
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CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.