Statistics Belgium defines unemployment rate as the percentage unemployed people within the national labor force (that means employed as well as unemployed people) between the age of 15 and 64.
In 2022, the unemployment rate in Belgium was *** percent. This is a slight decrease in comparison to the previous year, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the last ten years. Unemployment peaked in 2014 and 2015, at *** percent. In 2022, there were around 293 thousand unemployed persons in Belgium.
Unemployment per region 
 
Unemployment in Belgium differed from region to region. The unemployment rate was lowest in the Flemish Region, the Dutch-speaking part of the country. In 2021, unemployment reached *** percent there. By comparison, in the Brussels-Capital Region the share of people without employment was nearly **** times as high, at **** percent.
Forecast for 2022
 For 2022, an increase in the unemployment rate in Flanders was foreseen. According to a recent forecast, the unemployment rate would rise from just below *** percent in 2019, to *** percent in 2022. Between 2023 and 2025, the unemployment rate in Flanders was expected to decrease again.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ can support your business.
Statbel. (March 29, 2023). Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/
Statbel. "Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022." Chart. March 29, 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 26, 2026. /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/
Statbel. (2023). Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 26, 2026. /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/
Statbel. "Rate of Unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 29 Mar 2023, /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/
Statbel, Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/ (last visited July 26, 2026)
Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022 [Graph], Statbel, March 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: /statistics/528555/unemployment-rate-in-belgium/
