NationPulse

🇧🇪 Belgium in official data

How Belgium is doing across 22 areas of society, from the economy to health, housing and education: the latest official figures from Eurostat, the OECD and national statistics offices, as shown on NationPulse.

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Where it stands in the EU

• Innovative enterprises: Belgium has the highest value in the EU (70.3 %, 2022).
• Tertiary students in STEM fields: Belgium has the 3rd lowest value in the EU (18.8 %, 2024).
• Poverty reduction by social transfers: Belgium has the highest value in the EU (52.6 %, 2025).
• Participation in early childhood education: Belgium has the 2nd highest value in the EU (98.1 %, 2024).
• Business R&D expenditure (BERD): Belgium has the 2nd highest value in the EU (2.35 % GDP, 2024).
• In-work at-risk-of-poverty rate: Belgium has the 2nd lowest value in the EU (4.1 %, 2025).
• R&D expenditure (GERD): Belgium has the 3rd highest value in the EU (3.25 % GDP, 2024).

Brain: Education, research & innovation

Eyes: Information & Digital Access

Ears: Civic Participation

Jaw: Justice & Institutions

Neck: Government & Public Administration

Heart: Economy & Financial Stability

Left lung: Healthcare

Right lung: Environment & Climate

Stomach: Cost of Living

Liver: Poverty & Social Welfare

Left kidney: Housing

Right kidney: Essential Utilities

Left arm: Employment

Right arm: Job Quality

Left hand: Youth Opportunities

Right hand: Workplace Safety

Left leg: Roads & Transport

Right leg: Public Transport & Mobility

Left foot: Regional Accessibility

Right foot: Digital Infrastructure

Skin and body outline: Public Safety & Social Inclusion

Researched context (not official statistics)

For conditions with no official series, published figures from other credible sources, checked against the linked pages:

• Educational inequality by social background: In PISA 2025, social background mattered more in Belgium than on average in the OECD: advantaged students outscored disadvantaged ones by 98 points in science, against 85 on average.
• Scientific research outcomes: Research in Belgium is cited more often than the EU average (8th in the EU), and much of it is co-written with foreign researchers: co-publications are well above the EU average (9th).
• Public voice: CIVICUS rates civic space in Belgium as "narrowed", the second-best of its five levels; it was "open" until 2020.
• Media freedom: Reporters Without Borders ranks Belgium 16th of 180 countries for press freedom in 2026, up from 18th in 2025.
• Access to justice: The World Justice Project places Belgium 17th of 143 countries for the rule of law, and 17th for civil justice.
• Court efficiency: Courts in Belgium took an estimated 246 days to resolve civil and commercial disputes at first instance in 2024, the same as in 2023.
• Public service effectiveness: The World Bank scores the effectiveness of Belgium’s government at 79.3 out of 100 in 2025, slightly up from 78.6 in 2024.
• Transport infrastructure: Business executives placed Belgium’s roads 56th of 141 countries in 2019; the World Bank gives its trade and transport infrastructure 4.1 out of 5.
• Commuting: In 2019 a one-way commute in Belgium took 28 minutes on average, longer than the EU average of 25.
• Access to services: Most people in Belgium can reach work or study without a car: 72.2% can get there within an hour by public transport, cycling or walking, slightly above the EU average.

Data retrieved 2026-10-21. Every value links to its official source.

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