Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium

Belgium: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 6.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
6.2%
Change on year
up 8.6%
World rank
73rd
of 185 countries
All-time high
13.0%
in 1982
All-time low
2.1%
in 1971
Years of data
55
1971–2025

Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium, 1971–2025

2.557.51012.5197119982025

Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium stood at 6.2%.

The figure is up 8.6% on the previous year and down 26.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium peaked at 13.0% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1971.

Belgium ranks 73rd of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.7% 2.1% 7.9% 9
1980s 11.1% 8.3% 13.0% 10
1990s 8.4% 6.7% 9.6% 10
2000s 7.4% 6.2% 8.4% 10
2010s 7.5% 5.4% 8.5% 10
2020s 5.8% 5.5% 6.2% 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 70 Denmark 6.4% compare
  2. 71 Costa Rica 6.3% compare
  3. 72 Grenada 6.3% compare
  4. 74 Italy 6.1% compare
  5. 74 Romania 6.1% compare
  6. 76 Barbados 6.0% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium?
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Belgium was 6.2% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 13.0% in 1982.
What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1971.
How does Belgium rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
Belgium ranks 73rd out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Unit
%
Source
Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 5,169 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.