CHAPTER 10: Economic and Trade Statistics
APPENDIX A.
COUNTRY DATA:
Population: 10.2 million
Population Growth Rate: 0.39 percent
Religions:Roman Catholic (75 percent)
Agnostic/Atheist (23 percent)
Other (2 percent)
Government System: Constitutional monarchy with Parliament
Head of State: King Albert II
Head of Gov.: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Next elections scheduled for 2003
Languages: By regions: Flanders (Dutch speaking)
Wallonia (French speaking)
Brussels (Bilingual)
Languages: By Percent of Population:
Dutch (57.9 percent)
French (32.0 percent)
German (0.7 percent)
Work Week: Monday through Friday,
37.5 hours.
APPENDIX B:
DOMESTIC ECONOMY
1997 1998 1999(e)
GDP(billions of dollars) 242.4 247.6 6266
Real GDP Growth Rate(percent) 2.9 2.8 2.5
GDP per Capita (dollars) 23811 24274 25576
Gov. Spending(percent of GNP) 49.2 48.7 48
Inflation (percent change) 1.6 1.2 2.0
Unemployment (percent) 9.2 8.5 8.3
Foreign Exchange Reserves
(billions of dollars) 22.9 na na
Average annual exchange Rate
(in BF per U.S. dollar) 35.78 36.45 37.13
Debt Service Ratio Not available
Foreign debt
(billions of dollars) 21.92 21.45 na
Unit Labor Costs
(percent change) 0.1 0.2 na
Labor Productivity Rate 2.4 2.4 na
Sources: National Bank of Belgium; Finance Ministry; Bureau du Plan.
APPENDIX C:
TRADE
1995 1996 1997 1998
Total exports
(f.o.b., $ billions) 170.8 172.7 168.2 173.3
Total imports
(C.I.F., $ billions) 156.6 161.3 155.8 160.7
U.S. exports
(f.a.s., $ billions) 8.5 9.4 10.8 11.2
U.S. imports
(customs, $ billions) 6.3 7.0 7.7 7.1
Source for data is statistics for the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic
Union (BLEU).
U.S. export figures are based on U.S. Department of Commerce census
data, which include goods destined for Luxembourg as well as in
transit trade and re-exports to other European countries.
Approximately 50 percent of U.S. exports to Belgium are
transported to a third country final destination.
Main U.S. exports to Belgium: machinery; tobacco & tobacco products,
including cigars & cigarettes; organic chemicals; plastics; precious
stones and metals; vehicles, automotive parts & accessories;
medical instruments; computer hardware & software; chemicals.
Main U.S. imports from Belgium: Precious stones and metals; machinery;
cars & other vehicles; organic chemicals; iron and steel;
pharmaceutical products; petroleum; plastics; electrical.
APPENDIX D:
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT STATISTICS
FOREIGN OWNERSHIP RESTRICTIONS: None
TOTAL U.S. INVESTMENT: $17.7 billion
HISTORICAL U.S. SHARE OF
FOREIGN INVESTMENT: 13 percent
PRINCIPAL FOREIGN INVESTORS
(1989-1998):
Netherlands 21.9 percent
Germany 17.1 percent
France 16.0 percent
United States 11.0 percent
TOTAL U.S. INVESTMENTS 1989-1998: $7.5 billion
BELGIAN INVESTMENT IN
THE UNITED STATES: $3.9 billion
(Year-end 1996)
