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.
Belgium is divided into 3 regions: the Flemish Region, the Brussels-Capital Region and the Walloon Region. Each region has its own Regional Parliament and a Regional Government.
In 2022, the rate of unemployment in Belgium was *** percent. However, there were real regional differences within the country. The Flemish region did particularly well economically, with an unemployment rate of *** percent in 2022. By comparison: unemployment was more than twice as high in the Walloon Region, and over three times as high in the Brussels-Capital Region.
 Number of unemployed per region
 
Although Flanders had the lowest unemployment rate of all three regions, the actual number of unemployed people reached over thousand in 2021. The Brussels-Capital Region, which had the highest unemployment rate, counted only **** thousand unemployed people that year. This is mainly a result of a demographic imbalance: the Flemish region has nearly twice as many inhabitants as the Walloon Region, and over five times as many as the Brussels-Capital Region.
Unemployment forecasts
 
According to a recent forecast, the unemployment rate in Belgium was expected to decrease even further in 2020, to just under *** percent. The Federal Plan Agency predicted a similar trend, with the number of unemployed people in Belgium falling from nearly ** in 2017 to around ** in 2024. As can be seen, unemployment figures exceeded expectations in 2020.
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 ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ can support your business.
Statbel. (March 29, 2023). Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by region [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 31, 2026, from /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/
Statbel. "Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by region." Chart. March 29, 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 31, 2026. /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/
Statbel. (2023). Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by region. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 31, 2026. /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/
Statbel. "Rate of Unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by Region." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 29 Mar 2023, /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/
Statbel, Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by region ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/ (last visited July 31, 2026)
Rate of unemployment in Belgium from 2008 to 2022, by region [Graph], Statbel, March 29, 2023. [Online]. Available: /statistics/528583/unemployment-rate-in-belgium-by-region/