{"version":1,"asset_type":"statistical_series","data_type":"time_series","slug":"be-average-salary","url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/be-average-salary","html_url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/be-average-salary/","title":"Average Annual Salary in Belgium (2025)","description":"Average annual wages in Belgium from 1990 to 2025, expressed in constant 2025 USD at purchasing power parity. At $80,009 in 2025, Belgium sits approximately 23.4% above the OECD average of $64,809. Source: OECD Average Annual Wages dataset.","domain":"labor","category":"Labour & Employment","keywords":["Labour & Employment","Wages & Earnings","Belgium","Macroeconomics","Purchasing Power Parity"],"publisher":"OECD — Centre for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs","frequency":"Annual","geography":"Belgium","temporal_coverage":"1990/2025","unit":"Avg. Annual Wage (USD PPP)","last_updated":"2026-07-01","last_updated_text":"July 2026","data_as_of":"2025","variable_measured":"Mean gross annual wage of full-time full-year employees in Belgium","measurement_technique":"National accounts and labour force surveys, converted to constant 2025 USD at purchasing power parity","license":"https://apiardata.com/data-license","is_accessible_for_free":true,"sources":[{"name":"OECD Average Annual Wages — SDMX REST API endpoint","url":"https://sdmx.oecd.org/public/rest/data/OECD.ELS.SAE,DSD_EARNINGS@AV_AN_WAGE,1.0?format=csv"},{"name":"OECD — Average Wages indicator page","url":"https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/average-wages.html"}],"meta":[{"label":"Frequency","value":"Annual"},{"label":"Coverage","value":"1990–2025"},{"label":"Observations","value":"36"},{"label":"Geography","value":"Belgium"},{"label":"Base period","value":"Constant 2025 USD at PPP"},{"label":"Last updated","value":"July 2026"}],"kpis":[{"label":"Belgium Avg. Wage (2025)","value":"$80,009","unit":"Constant 2025 USD, PPP","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"+1.8% vs. 2024"}},{"label":"vs. OECD Average","value":"+23.4%","unit":"Above OECD avg. of $64,809","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"Belgium above OECD average"}},{"label":"10-Year Real Growth","value":"+4.3%","unit":"2015 to 2025","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"From $76,731 in 2015"}},{"label":"2022 Inflation Dip","value":"$76,346","unit":"Constant 2025 USD, PPP","trend":{"direction":"down","value":"-2.4% vs. 2021"}}],"series":[{"key":"value","label":"Belgium Average Annual Wage (USD PPP, constant 2025)"}],"observation_count":36,"observations":[{"period":"1990","value":59719},{"period":"1991","value":62342},{"period":"1992","value":64342},{"period":"1993","value":65694},{"period":"1994","value":66968},{"period":"1995","value":66741},{"period":"1996","value":67597},{"period":"1997","value":68434},{"period":"1998","value":68515},{"period":"1999","value":72302},{"period":"2000","value":71615},{"period":"2001","value":71873},{"period":"2002","value":73731},{"period":"2003","value":74153},{"period":"2004","value":73795},{"period":"2005","value":73042},{"period":"2006","value":73563},{"period":"2007","value":73437},{"period":"2008","value":73748},{"period":"2009","value":74647},{"period":"2010","value":74389},{"period":"2011","value":75347},{"period":"2012","value":75911},{"period":"2013","value":76728},{"period":"2014","value":77097},{"period":"2015","value":76731},{"period":"2016","value":77106},{"period":"2017","value":76482},{"period":"2018","value":76862},{"period":"2019","value":77530},{"period":"2020","value":75471},{"period":"2021","value":78226},{"period":"2022","value":76346},{"period":"2023","value":77456},{"period":"2024","value":78614},{"period":"2025","value":80009}],"table":{"columns":[{"key":"year","label":"Year"},{"key":"value","label":"Avg. Annual Wage (USD PPP)"},{"key":"yoyChange","label":"YoY Change"}],"rows":[{"year":"1990","value":"59719","yoyChange":"n/a"},{"year":"1991","value":"62342","yoyChange":"+4.4%"},{"year":"1992","value":"64342","yoyChange":"+3.2%"},{"year":"1993","value":"65694","yoyChange":"+2.1%"},{"year":"1994","value":"66968","yoyChange":"+1.9%"},{"year":"1995","value":"66741","yoyChange":"-0.3%"},{"year":"1996","value":"67597","yoyChange":"+1.3%"},{"year":"1997","value":"68434","yoyChange":"+1.2%"},{"year":"1998","value":"68515","yoyChange":"+0.1%"},{"year":"1999","value":"72302","yoyChange":"+5.5%"},{"year":"2000","value":"71615","yoyChange":"-1.0%"},{"year":"2001","value":"71873","yoyChange":"+0.4%"},{"year":"2002","value":"73731","yoyChange":"+2.6%"},{"year":"2003","value":"74153","yoyChange":"+0.6%"},{"year":"2004","value":"73795","yoyChange":"-0.5%"},{"year":"2005","value":"73042","yoyChange":"-1.0%"},{"year":"2006","value":"73563","yoyChange":"+0.7%"},{"year":"2007","value":"73437","yoyChange":"-0.2%"},{"year":"2008","value":"73748","yoyChange":"+0.4%"},{"year":"2009","value":"74647","yoyChange":"+1.2%"},{"year":"2010","value":"74389","yoyChange":"-0.3%"},{"year":"2011","value":"75347","yoyChange":"+1.3%"},{"year":"2012","value":"75911","yoyChange":"+0.7%"},{"year":"2013","value":"76728","yoyChange":"+1.1%"},{"year":"2014","value":"77097","yoyChange":"+0.5%"},{"year":"2015","value":"76731","yoyChange":"-0.5%"},{"year":"2016","value":"77106","yoyChange":"+0.5%"},{"year":"2017","value":"76482","yoyChange":"-0.8%"},{"year":"2018","value":"76862","yoyChange":"+0.5%"},{"year":"2019","value":"77530","yoyChange":"+0.9%"},{"year":"2020","value":"75471","yoyChange":"-2.7%"},{"year":"2021","value":"78226","yoyChange":"+3.7%"},{"year":"2022","value":"76346","yoyChange":"-2.4%"},{"year":"2023","value":"77456","yoyChange":"+1.5%"},{"year":"2024","value":"78614","yoyChange":"+1.5%"},{"year":"2025","value":"80009","yoyChange":"+1.8%"}]},"qa":[{"question":"What is the average annual salary in Belgium?","answer":"In 2025, the average annual salary in Belgium was $80,009 in constant 2025 USD, adjusted for purchasing power parity. The figure covers mean gross wages for a full-time, full-year equivalent employee across the total economy, compiled by the OECD from national accounts and labour force surveys (series AV_AN_WAGE, measure WG, unit USD_PPP). The 2025 reading is up 1.8% from $78,614 in 2024, extending the recovery from the 2022 inflation-driven dip of $76,346."},{"question":"How does Belgium's average wage compare to the OECD average?","answer":"Belgium's 2025 average of $80,009 is approximately 23.4% above the OECD-wide average of $64,809. Belgium has held this premium throughout the entire 36-year dataset — even in the relatively flat 2002–2016 period, Belgian wages typically exceeded the OECD mean by a wide margin. Within the OECD, Belgium generally ranks among the top tier for average wages, ahead of Germany ($76,285) and most other EU member states."},{"question":"What caused the sharp 5.5% wage jump in Belgium in 1999?","answer":"Between 1998 and 1999, Belgium's average annual wage rose from $68,515 to $72,302 — a 5.5% real gain and the largest single-year increase in the 36-year series. Belgium's wage formation involves inter-professional agreements (IPA) negotiated every two years, with a wage norm under the 1996 Law on the Promotion of Employment and the Preventive Safeguarding of Competitiveness setting allowable increases relative to expected wage growth in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The 1999 spike likely reflects a catch-up settlement following the restrained 1995–1998 period, though the Belgian IPA mechanism means discrete step changes are more common than the gradual annual growth seen in countries with fully decentralised bargaining. A partial reversal of -1% in 2000 followed, consistent with an inter-agreement correction."},{"question":"How does Belgium's automatic wage indexation affect salary trends?","answer":"Belgium's automatic wage indexation (loonindexering/indexation automatique) links wages to the 'health index' — a modified consumer price index — and triggers automatic adjustments when accumulated inflation crosses defined thresholds. This mechanism shows up clearly in 2023: after the inflation-driven real wage decline of -2.4% in 2022 (to $76,346), Belgium's wages rose +1.5% in 2023 to $77,456, followed by a further +1.5% in 2024 to $78,614 and +1.8% in 2025 to $80,009. For employers modelling Belgian headcount costs, automatic indexation means that nominal wage inflation in high-CPI environments is largely non-negotiable and structurally built into labour cost forecasts — a material difference from countries like Germany, where collective bargaining rounds determine the inflation pass-through with a lag."},{"question":"How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect Belgian wages?","answer":"Belgium's average wage fell 2.7% in real terms in 2020, from $77,530 in 2019 to $75,471 — the largest single-year decline in the dataset. Belgium's temporary unemployment scheme (chômage temporaire/tijdelijke werkloosheid) kept most workers formally employed but reduced average hours and compensation, likely pulling down the full-time-equivalent mean used in the OECD series. The recovery was correspondingly sharp: wages rebounded +3.7% in 2021 to $78,226, moving past the 2019 level before the 2022 inflation shock produced a second, smaller dip."}]}