Editing Economy of Belgium (section)

== Regional differences ==
The economy of Belgium is varied and cannot be understood without taking the regional differences into account. Indeed, the Flemish and Walloon economies differ in many respects (consider for instance Eurostat and OECD statistics), and cities like Brussels, Antwerp, Liège, [[Bruges]], Charleroi, or Ghent also exhibit significant differences. In general, productivity in Flanders is roughly 20% higher (per inhabitant) than in Wallonia.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} Brussels' GDP per capita is much higher than either region, although this is misleading, as many of those that work in the [[Brussels-Capital Region]] live in Flanders or Wallonia. Their output is counted in Brussels and not where they live, artificially raising the ''per capita'' GDP of Brussels and slightly lowering that of Flanders and Wallonia.

Unemployment has remained consistently more than twice as high in Wallonia than in Flanders, and has been even higher in Brussels, during most of the last 20 years (2012: Flanders: 4.55%; Wallonia: 10.12% and Brussels: 17.47%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/travailvie/emploi/chiffres/|title=Le marché du travail en chiffres absolus|work=fgov.be|access-date=17 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317231529/http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/travailvie/emploi/chiffres/|archive-date=17 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Gross Domestic Product in Belgium (2022)<ref name=eurostat>{{cite web|title= Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by NUTS 2 regions|publisher= Eurostat|url= https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/NAMA_10R_2GDP__custom_2143705/default/table?lang=en}}</ref>
!Rank
!NUTS region
!Per capita<br /><small>in [[Euro]]s</small>
!% of EU average
|-
|1
|[[Brussels]]
|69,500
|style="text-align:right"|196
|-
|2
|[[Flemish Region]]
|43,800
|style="text-align:right"|124
|-
|3
|[[Wallonia|Walloon Region]]
|30,700
|style="text-align:right"|87
|}

=== Brussels ===
Being the ''[[de facto]]'' capital of the European Union, its economy is very service-oriented. It has a number of regional headquarters of multinational corporations. It is also host to a great number of European institutions, in addition to the [[Belgian federal government]], the government of the [[Flemish Community]] and the government of the [[French Community of Belgium|French Community]]. Brussels also has many commuters, with 230,000 coming from Flanders, and 130,000 from Wallonia. Much of the success of Brussels is based on the high educational skills of its workforce.  As of July 2012, however, the statistical unemployment rate in Brussels was 20.6%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Taux de chômage stable (20,6%) mais augmentation du nombre de chercheurs d'emploi sur base annuelle|url=http://www.actiris.be/Portals/1/ACTIRIS/Documents/FR/2012-07%20Communiqu%C3%A9%20de%20presse%20ACTIRIS%20OK.pdf|publisher=Actiris.be }}{{dead link|date=September 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== Flanders ===
[[Image:Zicht op het Delwaidedok.jpg|thumb|The {{Interlanguage link multi|Bevrijdingsdok|nl}} [[container terminal]] in the [[port of Antwerp]]]]

In 2004, the [[port of Antwerp]] was the second-largest European sea port by cargo volume, and the Antwerp freight railway station accounts for one-third of Belgian freight traffic. Antwerp is the first diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports. The Antwerp-based [[BASF]] plant is the largest BASF-base outside Germany, and accounts on its own for about 2% of Belgian exports. Other industrial and service activities include car manufacturing, telecommunications, and photographic products.

The [[port of Bruges-Zeebrugge]] is one of the most important, modern and fastest growing<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investinflanders.com/en/infrastructure/ports/zeebrugge/|title=Invest in Flanders|publisher=Invest in Flanders|access-date=2013-02-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831131319/http://www.investinflanders.com/en/infrastructure/ports/zeebrugge/|archive-date=31 August 2011|url-status=dead }}</ref> ports in Europe. It is Europe's largest port for [[RoRo]] traffic<ref>[http://www.portofzeebrugge.com/content.asp?p=146&taal=E <!--|access-date=7 August 2009 }} -->] {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and [[LNG|natural gas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wingas.de/zeebrugge.html?&L=1|title=WINGAS GmbH: Zeebrugge|publisher=Wingas.de|access-date=2013-02-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225082718/http://www.wingas.de/zeebrugge.html?&L=1|archive-date=25 February 2012 }}</ref> It also is the world's largest port for the import and export of new vehicles.<ref>[http://www.zeebruggeport.be/E/jaarresultaten2008.pdf <!--|access-date=7 August 2009 }} -->] {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Tourism is also a major component of the economy of Bruges. Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. Annually about 2.5 million day tourists visit the city and in 2007 there were about 1.4 million overnight stays.

The [[port of Ghent]], in the north of the city, is the third largest port of Belgium. It is accessed by the [[Ghent–Terneuzen Canal]], which ends near the Dutch port of [[Terneuzen]] on the [[Western Scheldt]]. The port houses, among others, big companies like [[ArcelorMittal]], [[Volvo Cars]], [[Volvo Trucks]], [[Volvo Parts]], [[Honda]], and [[Stora Enso]]. [[Ghent University]], the second-largest university of Belgium by number of students, and a number of research-oriented companies are situated in the central and southern part of the city. Tourism is increasingly becoming a major employer in the local area. [[Begonia]]s have been cultivated in the Ghent area since 1860. Belgium is the world's largest producer of begonias, planting 60 million tubers per year. Eighty percent of the crop is exported.<ref name=flowercarpet>{{cite web|url=http://www.flowercarpet.be/site/main.php?lg=en&otm=20&mtm=3&hst=_03&pg=130|title= Brussels' Flower Carpet|website=flowercarpet.be|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213112230/http://www.flowercarpet.be/site/main.php?lg=en&otm=20&mtm=3&hst=_03&pg=130|archive-date=13 February 2012}}</ref>

=== Wallonia ===
In the past, Liège was one of the most important steel-making centres in Europe. Starting in 1817, [[John Cockerill (industrialist)|John Cockerill]] extensively developed the iron and steel industry. The industrial complex of [[Seraing]] was the largest in the world. Although now a shadow of its former self, steel production and the manufacture of steel goods remain important.

Liège has also been an important centre for [[gunsmithing]] since the [[Middle Ages]] and the arms industry is still strong with the headquarters of [[FN Herstal]]. The economy of the region is now diversified, the most important centers are mechanical industries ([[aircraft engine]] and [[spacecraft propulsion]]), space technology, information technology, [[biotechnology]] and also production of water, beer, and chocolate. [[Liège Science Park]] south east of the city, near the [[University of Liège]] campus, houses [[Research spin-off|spin-offs]] and high technology businesses. Liège is also a very important [[logistics]] center: the city possesses the third largest river port in Europe, directly connected to Antwerp, [[Rotterdam]] and Germany via the [[Meuse]] river and the [[Albert Canal]]. In 2006 [[Liège Airport]] was the 8th most important cargo airport in Europe. A new passenger terminal was opened in 2005. It is also the main hub and the headquarters of [[TNT Airways]].

Charleroi features an industrial area, iron and steel industry, glassworks, chemicals, and electrical engineering. Charleroi is in the center of a vast coal basin, called ''[[Pays Noir]]''. Many [[slag heap]]s still surround the city.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dnVBqWvFmQC&q=Charleroi+slag+heaps&pg=PA301|title = Belgium & Luxembourg|isbn = 9781858288710|last1 = Dunford|first1 = Martin|last2 = Lee|first2 = Phil|year = 2002}}</ref> Charleroi is also known for its publishing industry with [[Dupuis]], one of the main publishers of [[Franco-Belgian comics]], located in Marcinelle.