Economy, jobs and prices in Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium: official figures
GDP per person was 76,000 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 190% of the EU average; the highest of 3 regions in Belgium. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of Brussels-Capital Region?
The regional economy produced €108.2 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 17.4% of Belgium's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Brussels-Capital Region?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 12.6% in 2025, against 6.2% for Belgium and 6.0% across the EU; the highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in Brussels-Capital Region?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 30.5% in 2025, against 17.4% for Belgium; the highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does Brussels-Capital Region spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 2.45% of GDP in 2023 (3.24% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average taxable income per person in Brussels-Capital Region?
Net taxable income averaged €18,529 per resident in the Brussels-Capital Region in income year 2023, 21% below the Belgian average of €23,352; that was the lowest of the 3 regions.
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyWhat is the average income per tax return in Brussels-Capital Region?
791,621 income tax returns were filed by residents of the Brussels-Capital Region for income year 2023, with an average net taxable income of €29,249 per return (the lowest among the 3 regions; Belgian average €37,275).
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyHow many people in Brussels-Capital Region are long-term unemployed?
In 2025, 5.8% of the labour force in Brussels-Capital Region had been unemployed for 12 months or more, compared with 2.0% nationally and 1.9% in the EU. In 2015 it was 11.1%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in Brussels-Capital Region?
Unemployment among women was 11.5% in 2025, compared with 5.6% nationally and 6.2% in the EU. In 2015 it was 15.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in Brussels-Capital Region are in work?
The employment rate for women aged 20 to 64 reached 58.9% in 2025, compared with 69.3% nationally and 71.3% in the EU. In 2015 it was 53.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyIs the economy of Brussels-Capital Region growing?
In real terms the economy of Brussels-Capital Region grew by 1.4% in 2024 (gross value added) (Belgium: 1.0%). In 2014 it was 1.9%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Brussels-Capital Region?
Residents of Brussels-Capital Region owned 389 cars per 1,000 people in 2024 (Belgium: 513). In 2014 it was 434.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Brussels-Capital Region?
Employers paid an average of €59,198 per employee in 2024, counting wages, salaries and employer social contributions, against €49,723 across Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit Brussels-Capital Region?
Hotels, campsites and other tourist accommodation recorded 7.4 million nights in 2025, 78% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Brussels-Capital Region?
The largest part of the economy of Brussels-Capital Region in 2024 was finance, property and business services, at 41.5% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (29.3%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Brussels-Capital Region?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 4.7% of output in 2024, against 15.3% for Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Brussels-Capital Region growing?
Gross value added rose from €70.0 billion in 2015 to €97.9 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 40% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Brussels-Capital Region?
Of the 729,700 jobs located in Brussels-Capital Region in 2024, 43% in public services, education, health and other services, 4% in industry and 0.0% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Brussels-Capital Region?
The number of people working in Brussels-Capital Region rose by 6.0% between 2015 and 2024, to 729,700.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Average net taxable income per resident in the Brussels-Capital Region rose by 37.0% between income years 2013 and 2023, from €13,525 to €18,529 (Belgium: +37.2%), the 2nd fastest growth of the 3 regions. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- Residents of the Brussels-Capital Region declared 23.15 billion euros of net taxable income in 2023, 8.4% of the Belgian total, while they made up 10.6% of the population counted in the tax statistics. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- Earnings from work, pensions and benefits (professional income) made up 96.3% of net taxable income in the Brussels-Capital Region in 2023, and taxable real estate income 2.2% (Belgium: 98.0% and 1.5%). Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
How Brussels-Capital Region compares with other regions
Net taxable income per resident (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Net taxable income per resident |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flanders | €24,957 |
| 2 | Wallonia | €22,020 |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | €18,529 |
Growth in net taxable income per resident, 2013-2023 (2023)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Growth in net taxable income per resident, 2013-2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flanders | 37.4% |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 37.0% |
| 3 | Wallonia | 36.7% |
Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) (2025)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Long-term unemployment (% of labour force) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brussels-Capital Region | 5.8% |
| 2 | Wallonia | 2.9% |
| 3 | Flanders | 0.8% |
Unemployment rate, women (2025)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyEmployment rate, women aged 20-64 (2025)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, women aged 20-64 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flanders | 74.3% |
| 2 | Wallonia | 64.0% |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 58.9% |
Real growth in gross value added (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyPassenger cars per 1,000 people (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyCompensation per employee (euros) (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Compensation per employee (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brussels-Capital Region | €59,198 |
| 2 | Flanders | €48,791 |
| 3 | Wallonia | €46,131 |
Nights spent in tourist accommodation (2025)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Nights spent in tourist accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flanders | 28.8 million |
| 2 | Wallonia | 9.9 million |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 7.4 million |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 17.8% |
| 2 | Flanders | 17.5% |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 4.7% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 1 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brussels-Capital Region | 41.5% |
| 2 | Flanders | 30.2% |
| 3 | Wallonia | 26.6% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Brussels-Capital Region ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wallonia | 29.8% |
| 2 | Brussels-Capital Region | 29.3% |
| 3 | Flanders | 20.3% |
More on Brussels-Capital Region: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Belgium
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (purchasing power standards), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c21f724d14a6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP per person (euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 537f99167955…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset rd_e_gerdreg: Research and development spending (% of GDP), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36a9132b2284…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gvagr: Real growth rate of regional gross value added (GVA) at basic prices by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ba2c4bdc7c37…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2coe: Compensation of employees by NUTS 2 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 895d7cc9e826…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office): Fiscal statistics on income subject to personal income tax, by municipality of residence, income years 2005-2023 (TF_PSNL_INC_TAX_MUNTY), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5ff459c06f5f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)
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