What Do People in Belgium Do for a Living?

Belgium is a high-income, highly developed economy (GDP per capita ~$53k, 2023) with a diverse labor market. Key sectors:

Major Industries (Employment & GDP Share)

• Services (78% employment): Public admin, healthcare, education, finance, insurance, real estate, professional services, tourism, retail, logistics.
• Industry (20%): Chemicals/pharma (Solvay, UCB, GSK, Janssen), food processing, machinery, automotive (Volvo Cars, Van Hool), steel (ArcelorMittal), biotech, aerospace (Sonaca).
• Agriculture (1.5%): Intensive: sugar beet, potatoes, cereals, vegetables, dairy, pork, poultry, beer (AB InBev hops/malt).

Top Occupational Groups

1. Health & Social Work — nurses, doctors, care workers (aging population drives demand).
2. Business & Administration — managers, analysts, HR, finance, legal, consulting.
3. Education — teachers, researchers (multilingual system: Dutch/French/German).
4. Engineering & Tech — chemical, mechanical, software, data, pharma R&D.
5. Logistics & Transport — Antwerp (2nd largest EU port), Zeebrugge, Liège airport, rail hubs.
6. Creative & Cultural — design, fashion, comics, gaming (Larian Studios), festivals.

Regional Differences

• Flanders (Dutch-speaking): Higher GDP, export-oriented (ports, chemicals, tech, logistics).
• Wallonia (French-speaking): Industrial heritage (steel, glass), shifting to biotech, aero, green energy.
• Brussels-Capital: EU/NATO institutions, international orgs, lobbying, business services — 30% non-Belgian workforce.

Work Culture

• 38-hr workweek (collective agreements), 20–26 statutory vacation days + 10 public holidays.
• Strong unions (~50% density), sectoral bargaining.
• Multilingualism expected (NL/FR/EN); German in East Cantons.