Belgium vs. Luxembourg
Introduction
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO. | Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. In 1867, Luxembourg attained full independence under the condition that it promise perpetual neutrality. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the EEC (later the EU), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency zone. |
Geography
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands | Western Europe, between France and Germany |
| Geographic coordinates | 50 50 N, 4 00 E | 49 45 N, 6 10 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km | total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about the size of Maryland | slightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delaware |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,297 km border countries (4): France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km | total: 327 km border countries (3): Belgium 130 km, France 69 km, Germany 128 km |
| Coastline | 66.5 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy | modified continental with mild winters, cool summers |
| Terrain | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast | mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Botrange 694 m lowest point: North Sea 0 m mean elevation: 181 m | highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m lowest point: Moselle River 133 m mean elevation: 325 m |
| Natural resources | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land | iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 44.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 16.1% (2018 est.) forest: 22.4% (2018 est.) other: 33.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 24% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.) forest: 33.5% (2018 est.) other: 15.8% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 230 sq km (2012) | 0 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | flooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes | occasional flooding |
| Environment - current issues | intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries | air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapes |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
| Geography - note | crossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO | landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world |
| Total renewable water resources | 18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas | most people live in the south, on or near the border with France |
Demographics
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,778,842 (July 2021 est.) | 639,589 (July 2021 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.22% (male 1,033,383/female 984,624) 15-24 years: 11.2% (male 670,724/female 642,145) 25-54 years: 39.23% (male 2,319,777/female 2,278,450) 55-64 years: 13.14% (male 764,902/female 775,454) 65 years and over: 19.21% (male 988,148/female 1,263,109) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 16.73% (male 54,099/female 51,004) 15-24 years: 11.78% (male 37,946/female 36,061) 25-54 years: 43.93% (male 141,535/female 134,531) 55-64 years: 12.19% (male 39,289/female 37,337) 65 years and over: 15.37% (male 43,595/female 52,984) (2020 est.) |
| Median age | total: 41.6 years male: 40.4 years female: 42.8 years (2020 est.) | total: 39.5 years male: 38.9 years female: 40 years (2020 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.59% (2021 est.) | 1.7% (2021 est.) |
| Birth rate | 11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 11.62 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 7.26 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Net migration rate | 4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 12.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 81.65 years male: 79.02 years female: 84.4 years (2021 est.) | total population: 82.78 years male: 80.31 years female: 85.39 years (2021 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 1.63 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | 0.3% (2018 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian | noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg |
| Ethnic groups | Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.) | Luxembourger 51.1%, Portuguese 15.7%, French 7.5%, Italian 3.6%, Belgian 3.3%, German 2.1%, Spanish 1.1%, British 1%, other 14.6% (2019 est.) note: data represent population by nationality |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | 1,200 (2018 est.) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.) | Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.4%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.5%, none 26.8% (2010 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | <100 (2018 est.) |
| Languages | Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1% major-language sample(s): Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. | Luxembourgish (official administrative and judicial language and national language (spoken vernacular)) 55.8%, Portuguese 15.7%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 12.1%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 3.1%, Italian 2.9%, English 2.1%, other 8.4% (2011 est.) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 20 years male: 19 years female: 21 years (2018) | total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2018) |
| Education expenditures | 6.4% of GDP (2017) | 3.6% of GDP (2017) |
| Urbanization | urban population: 98.1% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) | urban population: 91.7% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
| Drinking water source | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 98.8% of population total: 99% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 1.2% of population total: 1% of population (2017 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 99.9% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0.1% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) |
| Major cities - population | 2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021) | 120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Health expenditures | 10.3% (2018) | 5.3% (2018) |
| Physicians density | 3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 3.01 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital bed density | 5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017) | 4.7 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 22.1% (2016) | 22.6% (2016) |
| Mother's mean age at first birth | 29.2 years (2019 est.) | 31.1 years (2019 est.) |
| Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 57 youth dependency ratio: 26.7 elderly dependency ratio: 30.2 potential support ratio: 3.3 (2020 est.) | total dependency ratio: 42.8 youth dependency ratio: 22.2 elderly dependency ratio: 20.5 potential support ratio: 4.9 (2020 est.) |
Government
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium conventional short form: Belgium local long form: Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German) local short form: Belgique/Belgie/Belgien etymology: the name derives from the Belgae, an ancient Celtic tribal confederation that inhabited an area between the English Channel and the west bank of the Rhine in the first centuries B.C. | conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the surrounding city and then to the country itself |
| Government type | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy | constitutional monarchy |
| Capital | name: Brussels geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: may derive from the Old Dutch "bruoc/broek," meaning "marsh" and "sella/zele/sel" signifying "home" to express the meaning "home in the marsh" | name: Luxembourg geographic coordinates: 49 36 N, 6 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the city that grew around the fortress |
| Administrative divisions | 3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form) note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities | 12 cantons (cantons, singular - canton); Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange, Remich, Vianden, Wiltz |
| Independence | 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne) | 1839 (from the Netherlands) |
| National holiday | Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831) | National Day (birthday of Grand Duke HENRI), 23 June; note - this date of birth is not the true date of birth for any of the Royals, but the national festivities were shifted in 1962 to allow observance during a more favorable time of year |
| Constitution | history: drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state) amendments: "revisions" proposed as declarations by the federal government in accord with the king or by Parliament followed by dissolution of Parliament and new elections; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in both houses of the next elected Parliament; amended many times, last in 2019 | history: previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1868 amendments: proposed by the Chamber of Deputies or by the monarch to the Chamber; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Chamber in two successive readings three months apart; a referendum can be substituted for the second reading if approved by more than a quarter of the Chamber members or by 25,000 valid voters; adoption by referendum requires a majority of all valid voters; amended many times, last in 2020 |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the French Civil Code; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts | civil law system |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch | chief of state: King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH (daughter of the monarch, born 25 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 1 October 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Vincent Van Quickenborne (since 1 October 2020), Sophie Wilmes (since 1 October 2020), Vincent Van Peteghem (since 1 October 2020), Frank Vandenbroucke (since 1 October 2020), Pierre-Yves Dermagne (since 1 October 2020), Petra De Sutter (since 1 October 2020), Georges Gilkinet (since 1 October 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by Parliament | chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981) head of government: Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Etienne SCHNEIDER (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Felix BRAZ (since 5 December 2018) cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senaat (in Dutch), Senat (in French) (60 seats; 50 members indirectly elected by the community and regional parliaments based on their election results, and 10 elected by the 50 other senators; members serve 5-year terms) Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers (in Dutch), Chambre des Representants (in French) (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024) Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); note - elections coincided with the EU electionselection results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition men 32, women 28, percent of women 46.7% Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.0%, VB 11.9%, PS 9.5%, CD&V 8.9%, PVDA+/PTB 8.62%, Open VLD 8.5%, MR 7.6%, SP.A 6.7%, Ecolo 6.1%, Groen 6.1%, CDH 3.7%, Defi 2.2%, PP 1.1%, other 20.1%; seats by party - N-VA 25, VB 18, PS 20, CD&V 12, PVDA+PTB 12, Open VLD 12, MR 14, SP.A 9, Ecolo 13, Groen 8, CDH 5, Defi 2; composition - men 86, women 64, percent of women 42.7% note: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform | description: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - a 21-member Council of State appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies elections: last held on 14 October 2018 (next to be held by October 2023) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 28.3%, LSAP 17.6%, DP 16.9%, Green Party 15.1%, ADR 8.3%, Pirate Party 6.4%, The Left 5.5%, other 1.9%; seats by party - CSV 21, DP 12, LSAP 10, Green Party 9, ADR 4, Pirate Party 2, The Left 2; composition - men 46, women 14, percent of women 23.3% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges) judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace | highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members) judge selection and term of office: judges of both courts appointed by the monarch for life subordinate courts: Court of Accounts; district and local tribunals and courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Flemish parties: Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Joachim COENS] Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Egbert LACHAERT] Groen or Green [Meyrem ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens) New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER] Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Conner ROUSSEAU] Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN] Francophone parties: Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Marc NOLLET, Rajae MAOUANE] Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Olivier MAINGAIN] Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Maxine PREVOT] People's Party or PP [Mischael MODRIKAMEN] Reform Movement or MR [George-Louis BOUCHEZ] Socialist Party or PS [Paul MAGNETTE] Workers' Party or PTB [Peter MERTENS] other minor parties | Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS] Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Marc SPAUTZ] Democratic Party or DP [Corinne CAHEN] Green Party [Francoise FOLMER, Christian KMIOTEK] Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Claude HAAGEN] The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee] other minor parties |
| International organization participation | ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Arthur REGIBEAU (since 17 September 2020) chancery: 1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900 FAX: [1] (202) 338-4960 email address and website: Washington@diplobel.fed.be https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York | chief of mission: Ambassador Gaston Pierre Jean STRONCK (since 16 September 2019) chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 email address and website: washington.amb@mae.etat.lu https://washington.mae.lu/en.html consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Nicholas BERLINER (since 20 January 2021) embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels mailing address: 7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC 20521-7600 telephone: [32] (2) 811-4000 FAX: [32] (2) 811-4500 email address and website: uscitizenBrussels@state.gov https://be.usembassy.gov/ | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Casey MACE (since 20 January 2021) embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: 5380 Luxembourg Place, Washington DC 20521-5380 telephone: [352] 46-01-23-00 FAX: [352] 46-14-01 email address and website: Luxembourgconsular@state.gov https://lu.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field) | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field) |
| National anthem | name: "La Brabanconne" (The Song of Brabant) lyrics/music: Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French] Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT note: adopted 1830; according to legend, Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater in which the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe | name: "Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William) lyrics/music: Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown note: "Ons Heemecht," adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while "De Wilhelmus," adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | golden rampant lion; national colors: red, black, yellow | red, rampant lion; national colors: red, white, light blue |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Belgium dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: limited to situations where the parents are either unknown, stateless, or when the nationality law of the parents' state of origin does not permit acquisition of citizenship by descent when the birth occurs outside of national territory citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Luxembourg dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years |
Economy
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Economy - overview | Belgium's central geographic location and highly developed transport network have helped develop a well-diversified economy, with a broad mix of transport, services, manufacturing, and high tech. Service and high-tech industries are concentrated in the northern Flanders region while the southern region of Wallonia is home to industries like coal and steel manufacturing. Belgium is completely reliant on foreign sources of fossil fuels, and the planned closure of its seven nuclear plants by 2025 should increase its dependence on foreign energy. Its role as a regional logistical hub makes its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with EU trading partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries, and the port of Zeebrugge conducts almost half its trade with the United Kingdom alone, leaving Belgium's economy vulnerable to the outcome of negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU. Belgium's GDP grew by 1.7% in 2017 and the budget deficit was 1.5% of GDP. Unemployment stood at 7.3%, however the unemployment rate is lower in Flanders than Wallonia, 4.4% compared to 9.4%, because of industrial differences between the regions. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist attacks that mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease Belgium's high public debt of about 104% of GDP, but such efforts would also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption. The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium's competitiveness, including changes to labor market rules and welfare benefits. These changes have generally made Belgian wages more competitive regionally, but have raised tensions with trade unions, which have called for extended strikes. In 2017, Belgium approved a tax reform plan to ease corporate rates from 33% to 29% by 2018 and down to 25% by 2020. The tax plan also included benefits for innovation and SMEs, intended to spur competitiveness and private investment. | This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in the world, is a landlocked country in northwestern Europe surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Despite its small landmass and small population, Luxembourg is the fifth-wealthiest country in the world when measured on a gross domestic product (PPP) per capita basis. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position, with a 2017 surplus of 0.5% of GDP, and the lowest public debt level in the region. Since 2002, Luxembourg's government has proactively implemented policies and programs to support economic diversification and to attract foreign direct investment. The government focused on key innovative industries that showed promise for supporting economic growth: logistics, information and communications technology (ICT); health technologies, including biotechnology and biomedical research; clean energy technologies, and more recently, space technology and financial services technologies. The economy has evolved and flourished, posting strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2017, far outpacing the European average of 1.8%. Luxembourg remains a financial powerhouse - the financial sector accounts for more than 35% of GDP - because of the exponential growth of the investment fund sector through the launch and development of cross-border funds (UCITS) in the 1990s. Luxembourg is the world's second-largest investment fund asset domicile, after the US, with $4 trillion of assets in custody in financial institutions. Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure, as well as the "LuxLeaks" scandal, which revealed advantageous tax treatments offered to foreign corporations. In 2015, the government's compliance with EU requirements to implement automatic exchange of tax information on savings accounts - thus ending banking secrecy - has constricted banking activity. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce has cut Luxembourg's sales tax revenues, requiring the government to raise additional levies and to reduce some direct social benefits as part of the tax reform package of 2017. The tax reform package also included reductions in the corporate tax rate and increases in deductions for families, both intended to increase purchasing power and increase competitiveness. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $596.414 billion (2019 est.) $586.192 billion (2018 est.) $575.757 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $70.966 billion (2019 est.) $69.373 billion (2018 est.) $67.28 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.41% (2019 est.) 1.49% (2018 est.) 1.9% (2017 est.) | 2.31% (2019 est.) 3.14% (2018 est.) 1.81% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $51,934 (2019 est.) $51,299 (2018 est.) $50,615 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $114,482 (2019 est.) $114,110 (2018 est.) $112,823 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.) industry: 22.1% (2017 est.) services: 77.2% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.) industry: 12.8% (2017 est.) services: 86.9% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 14.8% (2018 est.) | 17.5% (2018 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 28.4% (2006) | lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 23.8% (2000) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.4% (2019 est.) 2% (2018 est.) 2.1% (2017 est.) | 1.7% (2019 est.) 1.5% (2018 est.) 1.7% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force | 4.122 million (2020 est.) | 476,000 (2020 est.) note: data exclude foreign workers; in addition to the figure for domestic labor force, about 150,000 workers commute daily from France, Belgium, and Germany |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1.3% industry: 18.6% services: 80.1% (2013 est.) | agriculture: 1.1% industry: 20% services: 78.9% (2013 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 5.36% (2019 est.) 5.96% (2018 est.) | 5.36% (2019 est.) 5.46% (2018 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 27.4 (2017 est.) 28.7 (1996) | 34.9 (2017 est.) 26 (2005 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: 253.5 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 258.6 billion (2017 est.) | revenues: 27.75 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 26.8 billion (2017 est.) |
| Industries | engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum | banking and financial services, construction, real estate services, iron, metals, and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation and logistics, chemicals, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, biotechnology |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.2% (2017 est.) | 1.9% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugar beet, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, poultry, maize, barley, pears | milk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, beef, grapes, rapeseed, oats |
| Exports | $474.278 billion (2019 est.) $469.48 billion (2018 est.) $466.732 billion (2017 est.) | $133.61 billion (2019 est.) $132.487 billion (2018 est.) $131.834 billion (2017 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019) | iron and iron products, tires, cars, broadcasting equipment, clothing and apparel (2019) |
| Exports - partners | Germany 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 13%, United Kingdom 8%, United States 6%, Italy 5% (2019) | Germany 23%, France 13%, Belgium 12%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5% (2019) |
| Imports | $473.129 billion (2019 est.) $469.546 billion (2018 est.) $463.706 billion (2017 est.) | $111.287 billion (2019 est.) $110.275 billion (2018 est.) $110.656 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019) | cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, scrap iron, aircraft (2019) |
| Imports - partners | Netherlands 16%, Germany 13%, France 10%, United States 8%, Ireland 5%, China 5% (2019) | Belgium 27%, Germany 24%, France 11%, Netherlands 5% (2019) |
| Debt - external | $1,317,513,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,332,358,000,000 (2018 est.) | $4,266,792,000,000 (2019 est.) $4,581,617,000,000 (2018 est.) |
| Exchange rates | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.82771 (2020 est.) 0.90338 (2019 est.) 0.87789 (2018 est.) 0.885 (2014 est.) 0.7634 (2013 est.) | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.82771 (2020 est.) 0.90338 (2019 est.) 0.87789 (2018 est.) 0.885 (2014 est.) 0.7634 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Public debt | 103.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 106% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; general government debt is defined by the Maastricht definition and calculated by the National Bank of Belgium as consolidated gross debt; the debt is defined in European Regulation EC479/2009 concerning the implementation of the protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) of 7 February 1992; the sub-sectors of consolidated gross debt are: federal government, communities and regions, local government, and social security funds | 23% of GDP (2017 est.) 20.8% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $26.16 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $24.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $878 million (31 December 2017 est.) $974 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | $1.843 billion (2019 est.) -$4.135 billion (2018 est.) | $3.254 billion (2019 est.) $3.296 billion (2018 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $533.028 billion (2019 est.) | $71.089 billion (2019 est.) |
| Credit ratings | Fitch rating: AA- (2016) Moody's rating: Aa3 (2011) Standard & Poors rating: AA (2011) | Fitch rating: AAA (1994) Moody's rating: Aaa (1989) Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1994) |
| Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 75 (2020) Starting a Business score: 92.3 (2020) Trading score: 100 (2020) Enforcement score: 64.3 (2020) | Overall score: 69.6 (2020) Starting a Business score: 88.8 (2020) Trading score: 100 (2020) Enforcement score: 73.3 (2020) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 51.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 44.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 14.2% male: 16% female: 12.3% (2019 est.) | total: 17% male: 17.8% female: 16% (2019 est.) |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 51.2% (2017 est.) government consumption: 23.4% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23.3% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.3% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 85.1% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -84.4% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 30.2% (2017 est.) government consumption: 16.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 16.2% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 230% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -194% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 25.3% of GDP (2019 est.) 24.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 25.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | 16.7% of GDP (2019 est.) 17.4% of GDP (2018 est.) 17.6% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 79.83 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 334.5 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 82.16 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 6.475 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 8.465 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 14.65 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 7.718 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 687,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) |
| Natural gas - production | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 17.61 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 792.8 million cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 736.2 million cu m (2017 est.) | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 18.09 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 792.8 million cu m (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 21.56 million kW (2016 est.) | 1.709 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 28% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 67% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 731,700 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 648,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 59,850 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 680,800 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 601,400 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 59,020 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 3,930,410 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33.78 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 267,400 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43.31 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 11,509,573 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98.92 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 835,900 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135.39 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .be | .lu |
| Internet users | total: 10,258,638 percent of population: 88.66% (July 2018 est.) | total: 587,955 percent of population: 97.06% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: Belgium has a highly developed, technologically advanced telecom system; LTE is nearly universal; ongoing investment in 5G with services to dozens of cities and towns; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; 5G; operators accelerating fiber roll-out program; Brussels Airport collaborating with operator to deploy 5G and IoT solutions; international connections through satellite and submarine cables; importer of broadcast equipment from EU neighbors (2021) (2020)domestic: 34 per 100 fixed-line, 100 per 100 mobile-cellular; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network (2019) international: country code - 32; landing points for Concerto, UK-Belgium, Tangerine, and SeaMeWe-3, submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: small but highly developed telecom system dominated by state-owned operator; gains in fixed-line and drop in mobile/roving sector during 2020 travel restrictions; government-state operator extended 1GB/s service with aims to make Luxembourg the first fully fiber country in Europe; regulator completed auction for 5G spectrum; importer of broadcast equipment from China (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line teledensity about 43 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated with 136 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019) international: country code - 352 note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 4,590,707 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39.45 (2019 est.) | total: 230,100 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37.27 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | a segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish, French, and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally, in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters | Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL Group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL Group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services available |
Transportation
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 3,592 km (2014) standard gauge: 3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014) | total: 275 km (2014) standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014) |
| Roadways | total: 118,414 km (2015) paved: 118,414 km (includes 1,747 km of expressways) (2015) | total: 2,875 km (2019) |
| Waterways | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012) | 37 km (on Moselle River) (2010) |
| Pipelines | 3139 km gas, 154 km oil, 535 km refined products (2013) | 142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013) |
| Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Oostende, Zeebrugge container port(s) (TEUs): Antwerp (11,860,204) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Zeebrugge river port(s): Antwerp, Gent (Schelde River) Brussels (Senne River) Liege (Meuse River) | river port(s): Mertert (Moselle) |
| Merchant marine | total: 203 by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 5, general cargo 16, oil tanker 25, other 136 (2020) | total: 150 by type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 21, oil tanker 3, other 121 (2020) |
| Airports | total: 41 (2013) | total: 2 (2013) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 26 (2019) over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 8 | total: 1 (2019) over 3,047 m: 1 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 15 (2013) under 914 m: 15 (2013) | total: 1 (2013) under 914 m: 1 (2013) |
| Heliports | 1 (2013) | 1 (2013) |
| National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 117 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 13,639,487 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,285,340,000 mt-km (2018) | number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 66 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,099,102 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,323,040,000 mt-km (2018) |
| Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | OO | LX |
Military
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Belgian Armed Forces: Land Component, Naval Component, Air Component, Medical Service (2021) | Luxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2021) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1995 (2019) | 18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 1969); Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2021) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.07% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.89% of GDP (2019) 0.89% of GDP (2018) 0.88% of GDP (2017) 0.89% of GDP (2016) | 0.57% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.54% of GDP (2019) 0.5% of GDP (2018) 0.51% of GDP (2017) 0.39% of GDP (2016) |
| Military - note | Belgium is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020 | Luxembourg is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949 |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Belgian Armed Forces have approximately 26,000 active duty personnel (11,000 Land Component; 1,500 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 1,500 Medical Service; 7,000 other, including joint staff, support, and training schools) (2020) | the Luxembourg Army has approximately 900 active personnel (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Belgian Armed Forces have a mix of weapons systems from European countries, Israel, and the US; since 2010, France, Germany, and Switzerland are the leading suppliers of armaments; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2020) | the inventory of Luxembourg's Army is a small mix of European and US equipment; since 2010, it has received small quantities of equipment from Germany, Norway, and Sweden (2020) |
Transnational Issues
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 16,604 (Syria), 5,602 (Iraq), 5,070 (Afghanistan) (2019) stateless persons: 1,264 (2020) | stateless persons: 194 (2020) |
Environment
| Belgium | Luxembourg | |
|---|---|---|
| Air pollutants | particulate matter emissions: 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 96.89 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 7.78 megatons (2020 est.) | particulate matter emissions: 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 8.99 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 0.61 megatons (2020 est.) |
| Total water withdrawal | municipal: 739 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 3.21 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 45 million cubic meters (2017 est.) | municipal: 43.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 1.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 400,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Revenue from coal | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) | coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.708 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,614,985 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 34.3% (2015 est.) | municipal solid waste generated annually: 356,000 tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 100,997 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2015 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
