Health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium
Belgium: Health spending as a share of total government spending was 14.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium is 14.9%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium peaked at 15.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 2000.
Belgium ranks 46th of 195 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12.1% | — |
| 2001 | 12.4% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +8.2% |
| 2004 | 14.2% | +6.6% |
| 2005 | 13.3% | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 13.9% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 13.9% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 14.3% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 14.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 14.2% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 14.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | +5.8% |
| 2016 | 15.6% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 15.9% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 15.9% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 15.2% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.4% | 12.1% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 14.2% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.1% | 14.9% | 15.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More health data for Belgium
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2923 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,160 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 59 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0354 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, male, per capita 0.0221 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 202 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium?
- Health spending as a share of total government spending in Belgium was 14.9% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 2000.
- How does Belgium rank for health spending as a share of total government spending?
- Belgium ranks 46th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is health spending as a share of total government spending rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Health spending as a share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Domestic general government health expenditure expressed as a percentage of total expenditure of the general government.