Belgium vs. Netherlands
Introduction
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830, Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered German invasion and occupation in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999. In October 2010, the former Netherlands Antilles was dissolved and the three smallest islands - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba - became special municipalities in the Netherlands administrative structure. The larger islands of Sint Maarten and Curacao joined the Netherlands and Aruba as constituent countries forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In February 2018, the Sint Eustatius island council (governing body) was dissolved and replaced by a government commissioner to restore the integrity of public administration. According to the Dutch Government, the intervention will be as "short as possible and as long as needed." |
Geography
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands | Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany |
| Geographic coordinates | 50 50 N, 4 00 E | 52 31 N, 5 46 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 30,528 sq km land: 30,278 sq km water: 250 sq km | total: 41,543 sq km land: 33,893 sq km water: 7,650 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about the size of Maryland | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,297 km border countries (4): France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km | total: 1,053 km border countries (2): Belgium 478 km, Germany 575 km |
| Coastline | 66.5 km | 451 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit continental shelf: median line with neighbors | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy | temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters |
| Terrain | flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast | mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Botrange 694 m lowest point: North Sea 0 m mean elevation: 181 m | highest point: Mount Scenery (on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, now considered an integral part of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) 862 m lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m mean elevation: 30 m note: the highest point on continental Netherlands is Vaalserberg at 322 m |
| Natural resources | construction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land | natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, 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: 55.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 29.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.2% (2018 est.) forest: 10.8% (2018 est.) other: 34.1% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 230 sq km (2012) | 4,860 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 | flooding volcanism: Mount Scenery (887 m), located on the island of Saba in the Caribbean, last erupted in 1640;; Round Hill (601 m), a dormant volcano also known as The Quill, is located on the island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean;; these islands are at the northern end of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends south to Grenada |
| 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 | water and air pollution are significant environmental problems; pollution of the country's rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities |
| 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, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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 |
| 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 | located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse, and Schelde); about a quarter of the country lies below sea level and only about half of the land exceeds one meter above sea level |
| Total renewable water resources | 18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 91 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 | an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country |
Demographics
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,778,842 (July 2021 est.) | 17,337,403 (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: 16.11% (male 1,425,547/female 1,358,894) 15-24 years: 11.91% (male 1,049,000/female 1,008,763) 25-54 years: 38.47% (male 3,334,064/female 3,313,238) 55-64 years: 13.69% (male 1,177,657/female 1,188,613) 65 years and over: 19.82% (male 1,558,241/female 1,866,380) (2020 est.) |
| Median age | total: 41.6 years male: 40.4 years female: 42.8 years (2020 est.) | total: 42.8 years male: 41.6 years female: 44 years (2020 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.59% (2021 est.) | 0.37% (2021 est.) |
| Birth rate | 11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 10.98 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Net migration rate | 4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 1.9 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: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 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: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.06 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: 81.95 years male: 79.72 years female: 84.3 years (2021 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 1.78 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | 0.2% (2020 est.) |
| Nationality | noun: Belgian(s) adjective: Belgian | noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women) adjective: Dutch |
| Ethnic groups | Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.) | Dutch 76.9%, EU 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.3%, Indonesian 2.1%, German 2.1%, Surinamese 2%, Polish 1%, other 4.8% (2018 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | 24,000 (2020 est.) note: estimate does not include children |
| 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.) | Roman Catholic 23.6%, Protestant 14.9% (includes Dutch Reformed 6.4%, Protestant Church of The Netherlands 5.6%, Calvinist 2.9%), Muslim 5.1%, other 5.6% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 50.7% (2017 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | <100 (2020 est.) note: estimate does not include children |
| 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. | Dutch (official); note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province; Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire major-language sample(s): Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 20 years male: 19 years female: 21 years (2018) | total: 19 years male: 18 years female: 19 years (2018) |
| Education expenditures | 6.4% of GDP (2017) | 5.2% 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: 92.6% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 0.59% 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: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% 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: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2017 est.) |
| Major cities - population | 2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021) | 1.158 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.012 million Rotterdam (2021) |
| Maternal mortality rate | 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
| Health expenditures | 10.3% (2018) | 10% (2018) |
| Physicians density | 3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 3.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital bed density | 5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017) | 3.3 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 22.1% (2016) | 20.4% (2016) |
| Mother's mean age at first birth | 29.2 years (2019 est.) | 30.1 years (2019 est.) |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 66.7% (2018) | 73% (2013) note: percent of women aged 18-45 |
| 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: 55.6 youth dependency ratio: 24.4 elderly dependency ratio: 31.2 potential support ratio: 3.2 (2020 est.) |
Government
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Kingdom of the Netherlands conventional short form: Netherlands local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden local short form: Nederland abbreviation: NL etymology: the country name literally means "the lowlands" and refers to the geographic features of the land being both flat and down river from higher areas (i.e., at the estuaries of the Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine Rivers; only about half of the Netherlands is more than 1 meter above sea level) |
| Government type | federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| 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: Amsterdam; note - The Hague is the seat of government geographic coordinates: 52 21 N, 4 55 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 note: time descriptions apply to the continental Netherlands only, for the constituent countries in the Caribbean, the time difference is UTC-4 etymology: the original Dutch name, Amstellerdam, meaning "a dam on the Amstel River," dates to the 13th century; over time the name simplified to Amsterdam |
| 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 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie), 3 public entities* (openbare lichamen, singular - openbaar lichaam (Dutch); entidatnan publiko, singular - entidat publiko (Papiamento)); Bonaire*, Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan (Friesland), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Saba*, Sint Eustatius*, Utrecht, Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland) note 1: the Netherlands is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, are all islands in the Caribbean; while all four parts are considered equal partners, in practice, most of the Kingdom's affairs are administered by the Netherlands, which makes up about 98% of the Kingdom's total land area and population note 2: although Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are officially incorporated into the country of the Netherlands under the broad designation of "public entities," Dutch Government sources regularly apply to them the more descriptive term of "special municipalities"; Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are collectively referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands |
| Independence | 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne) | 23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581, they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration; however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence) |
| National holiday | Belgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831) | King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; currently celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday |
| 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: many previous to adoption of the "Basic Law of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" on 24 August 1815; revised 8 times, the latest in 1983 amendments: proposed as an Act of Parliament by or on behalf of the king or by the Second Chamber of the States General; the Second Chamber is dissolved after its first reading of the Act; passage requires a second reading by both the First Chamber and the newly elected Second Chamber, followed by at least two-thirds majority vote of both chambers, and ratification by the king; amended many times, last in 2018 |
| 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 based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
| 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: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER (since 30 April 2013); Heir Apparent Princess Catharina-Amalia (daughter of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER, born 7 December 2003) head of government: Prime Minister (vacant); note - Prime Minister Mark RUTTE resigned on 15 January 2021; Deputy Prime Ministers (since 26 October 2017) Hugo DE JONGE, Karin Kajsa OLLONGREN, and Carola SCHOUTEN (since 26 October 2017); note - Mark RUTTE heads his third cabinet put in place since 26 October 2017 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime ministers are appointed by the monarch |
| 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: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of: First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial council members by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve up to 4-year terms) elections: First Chamber - last held on 27 May 2019 (next to be held on NA May 2023) Second Chamber - last held on 15 March 2017 (next to be held on 17 March 2021) election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FvD 12, VVD 12, CDA 9, GL 8, D66 7, MvdA 6, PVV 5, SP 4, CU 4, other 8; composition - men 49, women 26, percent of women 34.7% Second Chamber - percent of vote by party - VVD 21.3%, PVV 13.1%, CDA 12.4%, D66 12.2%, GL 9.1%, SP 9.1%, PvdA 5.7%, CU 3.4%, PvdD 3.2%, 50 Plus 3.1%, other 7.4%; seats by party - VVD 33, PVV 20, CDA 19, D66 19, GL 14, SP 14, PvdA 9, CU 5, PvdD 5, 50 Plus 4, other 8; composition - men 96, women 54, percent of women 36%; note - total States General percent of women 35.6% |
| 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 or Hoge Raad (consists of 41 judges: the president, 6 vice presidents, 31 justices or raadsheren, and 3 justices in exceptional service, referred to as buitengewone dienst); the court is divided into criminal, civil, tax, and ombuds chambers judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the monarch from a list provided by the Second Chamber of the States General; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: courts of appeal; district courts, each with up to 5 subdistrict courts; Netherlands Commercial Court |
| 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 | Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Sybrand VAN HAERSMA BUMA] Christian Union or CU [Gert-Jan SEGERS] Democrats 66 or D66 [Rob JETTEN] Denk [Tunahan KUZU] 50 Plus [Henk KROL] Forum for Democracy or FvD (vacant) Green Left or GL [Jesse KLAVER] Labor Party or PvdA [Lodewijk ASSCHER] Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS] Party for the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME] People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or VVD [Mark RUTTE] Reformed Political Party or SGP [Kees VAN DER STAAIJ] Socialist Party or SP [Emile ROEMER] plus a few 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), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, 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, MINUSMA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNRWA, UN Security Council (temporary), UNTSO, UNWTO, 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 Andre HASPELS (since 16 September 2019) chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300 FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430 email address and website: https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/countries/united-states/about-us/embassy-in-washington-dc consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, 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 Marja VERLOOP (since 17 January 2021) embassy: John Adams Park 1, 2244 BZ Wassenaar mailing address: 5780 Amsterdam Place, Washington DC 20521-5780 telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209 FAX: [31] (70) 310-2207 email address and website: AmsterdamUSC@state.gov https://nl.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Amsterdam |
| 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 (bright vermilion; top), white, and blue (cobalt); similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colors were derived from those of WILLIAM I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange, but because its dye tended to turn red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent color; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolor in continuous use |
| 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: "Het Wilhelmus" (The William) lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown note: adopted 1932, in use since the 17th century, making it the oldest national anthem in the world; also known as "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau), it is in the form of an acrostic, where the first letter of each stanza spells the name of the leader of the Dutch Revolt |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | golden rampant lion; national colors: red, black, yellow | lion, tulip; national color: orange |
| 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: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Netherlands dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
Economy
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The Netherlands, the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, plays an important role as a European transportation hub, with a consistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations, and low unemployment. Industry focuses on food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 2% of the labor force but provides large surpluses for food-processing and underpins the country's status as the world's second largest agricultural exporter. The Netherlands is part of the euro zone, and as such, its monetary policy is controlled by the European Central Bank. The Dutch financial sector is highly concentrated, with four commercial banks possessing over 80% of banking assets, and is four times the size of Dutch GDP. In 2008, during the financial crisis, the government budget deficit hit 5.3% of GDP. Following a protracted recession from 2009 to 2013, during which unemployment doubled to 7.4% and household consumption contracted for four consecutive years, economic growth began inching forward in 2014. Since 2010, Prime Minister Mark RUTTE's government has implemented significant austerity measures to improve public finances and has instituted broad structural reforms in key policy areas, including the labor market, the housing sector, the energy market, and the pension system. In 2017, the government budget returned to a surplus of 0.7% of GDP, with economic growth of 3.2%, and GDP per capita finally surpassed pre-crisis levels. The fiscal policy announced by the new government in the 2018-2021 coalition plans for increases in government consumption and public investment, fueling domestic demand and household consumption and investment. The new government's policy also plans to increase demand for workers in the public and private sector, forecasting a further decline in the unemployment rate, which hit 4.8% in 2017. |
| 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 | $986.847 billion (2019 est.) $970.567 billion (2018 est.) $948.181 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.) | 1.63% (2019 est.) 2.32% (2018 est.) 3.02% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $51,934 (2019 est.) $51,299 (2018 est.) $50,615 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $56,935 (2019 est.) $56,325 (2018 est.) $55,348 (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: 1.6% (2017 est.) industry: 17.9% (2017 est.) services: 70.2% (2017 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 14.8% (2018 est.) | 13.6% (2019 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 28.4% (2006) | lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 24.9% (2014 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.4% (2019 est.) 2% (2018 est.) 2.1% (2017 est.) | 2.6% (2019 est.) 1.7% (2018 est.) 1.3% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force | 4.122 million (2020 est.) | 8.907 million (2020 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1.3% industry: 18.6% services: 80.1% (2013 est.) | agriculture: 1.2% industry: 17.2% services: 81.6% (2015 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 5.36% (2019 est.) 5.96% (2018 est.) | 3.41% (2019 est.) 3.84% (2018 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 27.4 (2017 est.) 28.7 (1996) | 28.5 (2017 est.) 25.1 (2013 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: 253.5 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 258.6 billion (2017 est.) | revenues: 361.4 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 352.4 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 | agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.2% (2017 est.) | 3.3% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugar beet, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, poultry, maize, barley, pears | milk, potatoes, sugar beet, pork, onions, wheat, poultry, tomatoes, carrots/turnips, beef |
| Exports | $474.278 billion (2019 est.) $469.48 billion (2018 est.) $466.732 billion (2017 est.) | $857.574 billion (2019 est.) $835.759 billion (2018 est.) $801.942 billion (2017 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019) | refined petroleum, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, photography equipment, computers (2019) |
| Exports - partners | Germany 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 13%, United Kingdom 8%, United States 6%, Italy 5% (2019) | Germany 20%, Belgium 12%, United Kingdom 9%, France 7%, United States 5% (2019) |
| Imports | $473.129 billion (2019 est.) $469.546 billion (2018 est.) $463.706 billion (2017 est.) | $755.65 billion (2019 est.) $732.865 billion (2018 est.) $700.657 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019) | crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, cars (2019) |
| Imports - partners | Netherlands 16%, Germany 13%, France 10%, United States 8%, Ireland 5%, China 5% (2019) | Germany 15%, China 11%, Belgium 9%, United States 8%, Russia 7%, United Kingdom 5% (2019) |
| Debt - external | $1,317,513,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,332,358,000,000 (2018 est.) | $4,345,413,000,000 (2019 est.) $4,625,016,000,000 (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 | 56.5% of GDP (2017 est.) 61.3% 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.) | $38.44 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $38.21 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | $1.843 billion (2019 est.) -$4.135 billion (2018 est.) | $90.207 billion (2019 est.) $98.981 billion (2018 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $533.028 billion (2019 est.) | $907.042 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 (1986) Standard & Poors rating: AAA (2015) |
| 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: 76.1 (2020) Starting a Business score: 94.3 (2020) Trading score: 100 (2020) Enforcement score: 59.9 (2020) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 51.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 43.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 14.2% male: 16% female: 12.3% (2019 est.) | total: 6.7% male: 7.3% female: 6.2% (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: 44.3% (2017 est.) government consumption: 24.2% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 83% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -72.3% (2017 est.) |
| Gross national saving | 25.3% of GDP (2019 est.) 24.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 25.2% of GDP (2017 est.) | 31.2% of GDP (2019 est.) 31.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 31.4% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 79.83 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 109.3 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption | 82.16 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 108.8 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports | 8.465 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 19.34 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports | 14.65 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 24.26 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) | 18,000 bbl/day (2018 est.) |
| Oil - imports | 687,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 1.094 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Oil - exports | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 7,984 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) | 81.13 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | 801.4 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Natural gas - production | 0 cu m (2017 est.) | 45.33 billion cu m (2017 est.) note: the Netherlands has curbed gas production due to seismic activity in the province of Groningen, largest source of gas reserves |
| Natural gas - consumption | 17.61 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 43.38 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports | 736.2 million cu m (2017 est.) | 51.25 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports | 18.09 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 51 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 21.56 million kW (2016 est.) | 34.17 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 75% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 28% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 731,700 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 1.282 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 648,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 954,500 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 680,800 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 2.406 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 601,400 bbl/day (2017 est.) | 2.148 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 3,930,410 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33.78 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 5.56 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.31 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 11,509,573 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98.92 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 21.762 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126.45 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .be | .nl |
| Internet users | total: 10,258,638 percent of population: 88.66% (July 2018 est.) | total: 16,243,928 percent of population: 94.71% (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: highly developed and well maintained; Dutch telecom market is gradually migrating to upgraded platforms; operators repurposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G; one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with competition between DSL and fiber networks; fixed-line voice market is in decline while VoIP and mobile platforms advance; plans for 3G network shutdown in 2023; operators are concentrating investment on LTE-A and 5G services; operators and banks launch m-payments system; adoption of smart city concepts and technology in major cities; major exporter of broadcasting equipment and computers to Europe, and importer of same from China (2021) (2020)domestic: extensive fixed-line, fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with five major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol services; fixed-line 33 per 100 and mobile-cellular 127 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 31; landing points for Farland North, TAT-14, Circe North, Concerto, Ulysses 2, AC-1, UK-Netherlands 14, and COBRAcable submarine cables which provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat) (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 |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 4,590,707 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39.45 (2019 est.) | total: 7.459 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43.34 (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 | more than 90% of households are connected to cable or satellite TV systems that provide a wide range of domestic and foreign channels; public service broadcast system includes multiple broadcasters, 3 with a national reach and the remainder operating in regional and local markets; 2 major nationwide commercial television companies, each with 3 or more stations, and many commercial TV stations in regional and local markets; nearly 600 radio stations with a mix of public and private stations providing national or regional coverage |
Transportation
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Railways | total: 3,592 km (2014) standard gauge: 3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014) | total: 3,058 km (2016) standard gauge: 3,058 km 1.435-m gauge (2,314 km electrified) (2016) |
| Roadways | total: 118,414 km (2015) paved: 118,414 km (includes 1,747 km of expressways) (2015) | total: 139,124 km (includes 3,654 km of expressways) (2016) |
| Waterways | 2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012) | 6,237 km (navigable by ships up to 50 tons) (2012) |
| Pipelines | 3139 km gas, 154 km oil, 535 km refined products (2013) | 14000 km gas, 2500 km oil and refined products, 3000 km chemicals (2016) |
| 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) | major seaport(s): IJmuiden, Vlissingen container port(s) (TEUs): Rotterdam (14,810,804) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Rotterdam river port(s): Amsterdam (Nordsee Kanaal); Moerdijk (Hollands Diep River); Rotterdam (Rhine River); Terneuzen (Western Scheldt River) |
| Merchant marine | total: 203 by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 5, general cargo 16, oil tanker 25, other 136 (2020) | total: 1,200 by type: bulk carrier 10, container ship 45, general cargo 557, oil tanker 23, other 565 (2020) |
| Airports | total: 41 (2013) | total: 29 (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: 23 (2017) over 3,047 m: 3 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2017) under 914 m: 2 (2017) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 15 (2013) under 914 m: 15 (2013) | total: 6 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2013) under 914 m: 2 (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: 8 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 238 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 43,996,044 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 5,886,510,000 mt-km (2018) |
| Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | OO | PH |
Military
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Belgian Armed Forces: Land Component, Naval Component, Air Component, Medical Service (2021) | Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Military Constabulary) (2021) note: the Netherlands Coast Guard and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are civilian in nature, but managed by the Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1995 (2019) | 17 years of age for an all-volunteer force; conscription abolished in 1996 (2019) |
| 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) | 1.49% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.35% of GDP (2019) 1.22% of GDP (2018) 1.15% of GDP (2017) 1.16% 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 | the Netherlands 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 |
| 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 Royal Netherlands Armed Forces have approximately 35,000 active duty personnel (15,000 Army; 7,500 Navy; 6,500 Air Force; 6,000 Constabulary) (2020) |
| 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 the Netherlands Armed Forces consists of a mix of domestically-produced and modern European- and US-sourced equipment; since 2010, the US is the leading supplier of weapons systems to the Netherlands, followed by several European countries; the Netherlands has an advanced domestic defense industry that focuses on armored vehicles, naval ships, and air defense systems; it also participates with the US and other European countries on joint development and production of advanced weapons systems (2020) |
| Military deployments | 125 France (contributing member of EuroCorps); 100 Mali (EUTM/MINUSMA); est. 260 Baltic States (NATO) (2020) | 270 Lithuania (NATO) (2021) |
Transnational Issues
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Illicit drugs | growing producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis; transit point for US-bound ecstasy; source of precursor chemicals for South American cocaine processors; transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, hashish, and marijuana entering Western Europe; despite a strengthening of legislation, the country remains vulnerable to money laundering related to narcotics, automobiles, alcohol, and tobacco; significant domestic consumption of ecstasy | major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy and a significant consumer of ecstasy; a large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 16,604 (Syria), 5,602 (Iraq), 5,070 (Afghanistan) (2019) stateless persons: 1,264 (2020) | refugees (country of origin): 31,694 (Syria), 14,809 (Eritrea), 13,007 (Somalia), 8,423 (Iraq), 5,815 (Afghanistan) (2019) stateless persons: 2,006 (2020) |
Terrorism
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Terrorist Group(s) | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T | Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T |
Environment
| Belgium | Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| 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: 12.07 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 170.78 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 17.79 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: 1.26 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 14.74 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 76.5 million 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: 8.855 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,179,216 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.6% (2015 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
