Unemployment (i42)
- 31/10/2025
- objective
- assessment assessment
In 2024, the unemployment rate in Belgium amounted to 5.8%. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must be reduced. Between 2000 and 2024, the trend is favourable (assessment of November 2025).
Unemployment rate - Belgium and international comparison
percentage of active population
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2002 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1990 | 2024//2019 | 2024//2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 7.3 | 9.4 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | -0.7 | 1.4 | -0.8 |
| EU27 | -- | -- | -- | 9.7 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 6.0 | -- | -2.5 | -2.2 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||||
Note: break in time series: BE in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2021; EU in 2005, 2021. The 95% confidence interval of the unemployment rate in 2024 is 5.5% to 6.1% for Belgium.
Source: Statbel; Eurostat (2025), Unemployment rates by educational attainment level, lfsa_urgaed, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, laatste update van data 21/10/2025 23:00 (geraadpleegd op 03/11/2025)
Unemployment rate by region - Belgium
percentage of active population
| 1999 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1999 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | 16.0 | 15.0 | 16.5 | 17.4 | 17.5 | 12.7 | 12.4 | 11.9 | -1.2 | -1.3 |
| Flemish Region | 5.6 | 3.7 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | -1.5 | 2.9 |
| Walloon Region | 12.5 | 9.9 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | -2.0 | 0.8 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | ||||||||||
Note: Break in time series: 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2021. The 95% confidence interval of the unemployment rate in 2024 is 10.6% to 13.2% for Brussels, 3.5% to 4.1% for Flanders and 6.9% to 8.1% for Wallonia.
Source: Statbel; Eurostat (2025), Unemployment rates by country of birth and NUTS 2 region, lfst_r_lfur2gac, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, laatste update van data 11/09/2025 23:00 (geraadpleegd op 03/11/2025)
Unemployment rate by sex - Belgium
percentage of active population
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1990 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| females | 11.5 | 12.3 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.3 | -2.3 | 1.2 |
| males | 4.6 | 7.4 | 5.3 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 9.2 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Note: break in time series: BE in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2021; EU in 2005, 2021
Source: Statbel; Eurostat (2025), Unemployment rates by educational attainment level, lfsa_urgaed, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, laatste update van data 21/10/2025 23:00 (geraadpleegd op 03/11/2025)
Unemployment rate by age - Belgium
percentage of active population
| 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1990 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 13.4 | 21.2 | 17.4 | 21.5 | 22.4 | 22.2 | 14.0 | 14.7 | 16.3 | 0.6 | 3.1 |
| 25-49 | 5.8 | 8.5 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.4 | -0.2 | 1.4 |
| 50-64 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 0.4 | -2.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Note: break in time series: BE in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2021; EU in 2005, 2021
Source: Statbel (2025), direct communication 04/11/2025
Unemployment rate by education - Belgium
percentage of active population
| 1992 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1992 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at most lower secondary | 9.5 | 13.8 | 10.4 | 14.1 | 15.4 | 17.0 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 13.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| upper secondary | 6.5 | 9.4 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 4.5 |
| tertiary | 3.0 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 0.1 | -0.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Note: break in time series: BE in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2021; EU in 2005, 2021
Source: Statbel; Eurostat (2025), Unemployment rates by educational attainment level, lfsa_urgaed, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, laatste update van data 21/10/2025 23:00 (geraadpleegd op 03/11/2025)
Long-term unemployment rate - Belgium
percentage of active population
| 1999 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2020 | 2024 | 2024//1999 | 2024//2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| long-term unemployment | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -3.3 | -2.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | ||||||||||
Note: break in time series: 1999, 2001, 2017, 2021
Bron: Eurostat (2025), Long-term unemployment by sex (1996-2020) - annual data, une_ltu_a_h, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat, laatste update van data 12/12/2024 23:00 en vanaf 2021 Long-term unemployment by sex - annual data, une_ltu_a, laatste update van data 12/06/2025 23:00 (geraadpleegd op 03/11/2025)
Definition: the unemployment rate refers to the ratio between the number of unemployed and the labour force, expressed as a percentage. The unemployment data used for this indicator are drawn from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The survey data were obtained from direct interviews to determine if a person is unemployed. This is the case if the person is not working, has actively been looking for a job in the last four weeks and is available within two weeks to possibly start working. The labour force includes all persons in from 15 years who are available in the labour market, i.e. those who have paid work and those who do not but are looking for it. The unemployment data presented here refer to the population aged 15 to 64. This is different for the data on long-term unemployment: here the age group 20-64 years applies. Statistics Belgium organises this EU-harmonised survey in Belgium and makes the results available, in particular to Eurostat. The survey methodology was reviewed in 2017. Comparison of the 2017 data with previous years should be done with caution. Due to, among other things, changes in the definition of unemployment following a new European framework regulation, the data from 2021 onwards cannot be directly compared with those of 2020. From now on, persons who are temporarily unemployed for more than three months will no longer be counted as employed but as unemployed or inactive, depending on the answers to the questions on job search and availability.
The data used here come from Eurostat, which publishes detailed and comparable results between EU Member States. Since these data are based on surveys, a margin of uncertainty must be taken into account. This margin of uncertainty increases as the indicator is calculated on smaller sub-populations. The confidence intervals for these data are available on request from Statistics Belgium.
The following breakdowns are available for this indicator: region, sex, age, education and unemployment duration.
Goal: the unemployment rate must be reduced.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 8.5: "By 2030 achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value".
The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development includes the following objectives: "The labour market will be inclusive and provide decent employment for every working age citizen” (Objective 8), "The level of employment shall be as stable and high as possible and shall respect the principles of decent work. Anyone of working age will have the opportunity to find paid work” (Objective 9), “Unemployment will be reduced to the level of frictional unemployment" (Objective 10) and "Working conditions will be adapted throughout the career to ensure a better quality of life and allow people to work longer” (Objective 11, Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).
UN indicator: the selected indicator corresponds to indicator 8.5.2 - Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities.
Sources
At www.indicators.be the Federal Planning Bureau presents sustainable development indicators.
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