IMD World Competitiveness Booklet 2021

COMPETITIVENESS TRENDS - OVERALL BELGIUM

OVERALL PERFORMANCE (64 countries)

BASIC FACTS Capital Land area (square km '000)

Rank

Brussels

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

31 2020

23

24

0.876 2020 11.50 2020 513.9 2020 51,211 2020 -6.2 2020 0.43 2020 5.50 2020 5.09 2020 -0.15 2020 566.1 2019 -5.43 2019

25

Exchange Rate (per $)

26

27

34

Population - market size (millions)

CHALLENGES IN 2021 Control the pandemic in order to bring the economy back to its potential growth rate. • Control the pandemic in order to bring the economy back to its potential growth rate. • Efforts to reduce the tax wedge must be continued. • Promote continuous training throughout the career. • Better guidance towards STEM and technical jobs. • Closing the infrastructure investment gap.

24

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (US$ billions)

18

GDP (PPP) per capita (US$)

46

Real GDP growth (%)

26

Consumer price inflation (%)

26

Unemployment rate (%)

38

Labor force (millions)

42

Current account balance (% of GDP)

16

Direct investment stocks inward ($bn)

FEB - Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, Brussels Provid by: FEB - Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, Brussels

62

Direct investment flows inward (% of GDP)

COMPETITIVENESS LANDSCAPE

Economic Performance

Government Efficiency

Business Efficiency

Infrastructure

Domestic Economy

International Trade

International Investment Employment Prices

Public Finance

Tax Policy

Institutional Framework Business Legislation

Societal Framework

Productivity & Efficiency Labor Market Finance

Management Practices

Attitudes and Values

Basic Infrastructure

Technological Infrastructure Scientific Infrastructure

Health and Environment Education

6

10 12

10

16

18 18

20

23

25

26

26

30 27 29

32 35

41

57

63

PEER GROUPS RANKINGS EUROPE - MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA (41 countries) 15 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 15

POPULATIONS < 20 MILLION (35 countries)

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

16

16

16

16

16

17

17

17

55

IMD WORLD COMPETITIVENESS BOOKLET 2021