Economy, jobs and prices in Wallonia, Belgium: official figures
GDP per person was 34,600 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 87% of the EU average; the lowest of 3 regions in Belgium. PPS adjust for price differences between countries.
How big is the economy of Wallonia?
The regional economy produced €144.4 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2024, 23.3% of Belgium's GDP.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Wallonia?
The unemployment rate (age 15 to 74) was 7.8% in 2025, against 6.2% for Belgium and 6.0% across the EU; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is youth unemployment in Wallonia?
Youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) was 22.2% in 2025, against 17.4% for Belgium; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow much does Wallonia spend on research and development?
Spending on research and development came to 3.16% of GDP in 2023 (3.24% nationally).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow rich is Wallonia?
Net taxable income averaged €22,020 per resident in Wallonia in income year 2023, 6% below the Belgian average of €23,352; that was the 2nd highest of the 3 regions.
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyWhat is the average income per tax return in Wallonia?
2,360,617 income tax returns were filed by residents of Wallonia for income year 2023, with an average net taxable income of €34,442 per return (the 2nd highest among the 3 regions; Belgian average €37,275).
Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copyHow many people in Wallonia are long-term unemployed?
Long-term unemployment (people out of work for a year or more) stood at 2.9% of the labour force in 2025, compared with 2.0% nationally and 1.9% in the EU. In 2015 it was 6.8%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate for women in Wallonia?
Unemployment among women was 7.7% in 2025, compared with 5.6% nationally and 6.2% in the EU. In 2015 it was 11.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many women in Wallonia are in work?
64.0% of women aged 20 to 64 were in work in 2025, compared with 69.3% nationally and 71.3% in the EU. In 2015 it was 57.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyIs the economy of Wallonia growing?
Output (gross value added, after inflation) changed by 1.2% in 2024 (Belgium: 1.0%). In 2014 it was 1.9%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Wallonia?
Residents of Wallonia owned 506 cars per 1,000 people in 2024 (Belgium: 513). In 2014 it was 478.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Wallonia?
Average compensation per employee (pay plus employer social contributions) was €46,131 in 2024, against €49,723 across Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit Wallonia?
Visitors spent 9.9 million nights in tourist accommodation in 2025, 45% of them by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Wallonia?
The largest part of the economy of Wallonia in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 29.8% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (26.6%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Wallonia?
Factories, mines and energy produced 17.8% of the value added in Wallonia in 2024, against 15.3% for Belgium.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Wallonia growing?
Gross value added rose from €86.0 billion in 2015 to €130.7 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 52% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Wallonia?
Of the 1,350,600 jobs located in Wallonia in 2024, 39% in public services, education, health and other services, 11% in industry and 1.3% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Wallonia?
The number of people working in Wallonia rose by 10.2% between 2015 and 2024, to 1,350,600.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Average net taxable income per resident in Wallonia rose by 36.7% between income years 2013 and 2023, from €16,104 to €22,020 (Belgium: +37.2%), the slowest growth of the 3 regions. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
- Residents of Wallonia declared 81.30 billion euros of net taxable income in 2023, 29.6% of the Belgian total, while they made up 31.4% 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 98.3% of net taxable income in Wallonia in 2023, and taxable real estate income 1.4% (Belgium: 98.0% and 1.5%). Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office) · saved copy
How Wallonia compares with other regions
Net taxable income per resident (2023)
Wallonia ranks 2 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)
Wallonia ranks 3 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)
Wallonia ranks 2 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)
Wallonia ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, women |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brussels-Capital Region | 11.5% |
| 2 | Wallonia | 7.7% |
| 3 | Flanders | 3.6% |
Employment rate, women aged 20-64 (2025)
Wallonia ranks 2 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)
Wallonia ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Real growth in gross value added |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brussels-Capital Region | 1.4% |
| 2 | Wallonia | 1.2% |
| 3 | Flanders | 0.7% |
Passenger cars per 1,000 people (2024)
Wallonia ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Passenger cars per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flanders | 539 |
| 2 | Wallonia | 506 |
| 3 | Brussels-Capital Region | 389 |
Compensation per employee (euros) (2024)
Wallonia ranks 3 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)
Wallonia ranks 2 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)
Wallonia ranks 1 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)
Wallonia ranks 3 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)
Wallonia ranks 1 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 Wallonia: 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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