Maritime profile: Belgium

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR 2021
Population
GDP
Merchandise trade¹
11.611 Millions
590 423 Millions current US$
1 055 492 Millions current US$
Land area²
GDP growth
Transport services trade³
(o) 30 280 Km²
4.65 %
271 147 Millions current US$
MARITIME KEY FIGURES FOR 2021
More data on UNCTADstat
Coast/area ratio²
Ship building⁴
Ship recycling⁴
2.5 m/km²
..
4 247 GT
Fleet - National flag⁵
Fleet - National flag⁵
Fleet - Ownership⁶
9 640 Thousands DWT
201 ships
30 762 Thousands DWT
Container port throughput⁷
Number of seafarers⁸
Number of port calls⁹
14 066 604 TEU
4 980
32 692
WORLD SHARES FOR 2021
0.15 % Less than 0.01% of the World total0.61 %2.44 %2.26 %0.45 %0.33 %1.45 %0.97 %Not available or not separately reported0.03 %0.40 %0.15 %1.76 %1.11 %2.45 %1.56 %0.36 %2.06 %1.48 %0.15 % Less than 0.01% of the World total0.61 %2.44 %2.26 %0.45 %0.33 %1.45 %0.97 %Not available or not separately reported0.03 %0.40 %0.15 %1.76 %1.11 %2.45 %1.56 %0.36 %2.06 %1.48 %
INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE
More data on UNCTADstat
+29.1 %
Merchandise exports growth rate in 2021
Total merchandise trade
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Merchandise exports
334 400
407 692
396 841
545 284
Merchandise imports
318 700
391 177
375 530
510 208
Merchandise trade balance
15 700
16 515
21 311
35 075
Export structure by product group in 2021
(as % of total exports)
5 %5 %70 %70 %10 %10 %5 %5 %10 %10 %
Top 5 partners in 2021
(exports, millions of US$)
57 48445 23740 78623 75121 17657 48445 23740 78623 75121 176
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TRANSPORT SERVICES
More data on UNCTADstat
+14.5 %
Transport services exports growth rate in 2021
Services exports by main category¹⁰
(as % of total services)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Transport
(e) 25.6
27.1
20.8
20.9
Travel
(e) 17.2
11.6
7.2
4.8
Other services
(e) 52.1
55.6
66.6
70.5
Total trade in transport services¹⁰
(millions of US$)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Transport services exports
(e) 15 152
26 700
22 701
28 540
Transport services imports
(e) 13 018
21 314
23 281
30 232
Transport services trade balance
(e) 2 135
5 386
-580
-1 693
NATIONAL FLEET
More data on UNCTADstat
-4.5 %
Fleet growth rate in 2021
Carrying capacity by type of ship⁵
(Thousands DWT)
2005
2010
2015
2021
Total fleet
6 815.0
6 575.1
8 670.9
9 640.0
Oil tankers
3 601.0
2 168.7
4 381.7
5 310.9
Bulk carriers
2 242.0
2 730.8
2 745.4
2 421.8
General cargo
3.0
150.3
101.8
82.6
Container ships
311.0
131.0
0.0
331.6
Other types of ships
658.0
1 394.2
1 442.0
1 493.2
Fleet by type of ship⁵
(Number of ships)
13871619211355152122133016212314101818211440151520
LINER SHIPPING CONNECTIVITY
More data on UNCTADstat
Bilateral connectivity index - Top 10 partners in Q1 2021¹¹
Can only take values between 0 (minimum) and 1 (maximum)
0.5340.5280.5260.4850.4830.4790.4730.4710.4470.4450.5340.5280.5260.4850.4830.4790.4730.4710.4470.445
Liner shipping connectivity index¹¹
Maximum 2006=100 for China
87.087.988.788.087.888.584.789.189.584.886.684.685.485.785.885.684.487.088.785.983.585.383.185.886.486.284.383.682.278.277.977.178.178.578.178.780.477.277.878.278.278.679.079.879.679.480.079.579.879.982.083.577.777.278.377.076.474.473.773.573.574.073.072.4
PORT CALLS AND PERFORMANCE
More data on UNCTADstat
Port calls, time spent in ports, vessel age and size in 2021⁹
 
Number of arrivals
Median time
in port (days)
Avg age
of vessels
Avg size (GT)
of vessels
Avg cargo
carrying
capacity (DWT)
per vessel
Avg container
carrying
capacity (TEU)
per container ship
Maximum size (GT) of vessels
All ships
32 692
1.36
16
20 450
12 641
4 760
235 500
Liquid bulk carriers
12 696
1.29
17
6 565
11 140
..
84 624
Liquefied petroleum gas carriers
1 204
1.48
12
7 873
8 801
..
48 714
Liquefied natural gas carriers
201
1.29
8
81 820
65 775
..
163 922
Dry bulk carriers
1 020
4.30
10
28 340
48 397
..
101 933
Dry breakbulk carriers
6 774
1.43
20
4 571
5 941
..
40 250
Roll-on/ roll-off ships
5 779
..
14
40 960
15 785
..
100 430
Container ships
4 960
1.20
15
52 361
..
4 760
235 500
Passenger ships
58
..
12
51 395
..
..
184 089
Port liner shipping connectivity index - Top 5 ports in 2021¹¹
Maximum 2006=100 for China, Hong Kong SAR
1.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.11.12.52.52.52.52.42.42.52.52.52.52.72.72.72.62.42.42.42.82.83.02.92.93.24.14.04.04.04.12.62.646.647.546.845.645.646.746.645.946.546.345.541.443.042.943.043.436.941.541.911.57.938.038.742.342.942.341.743.838.738.337.639.039.139.438.638.640.637.237.336.737.337.137.237.036.939.535.035.341.140.141.541.634.733.031.329.430.428.528.928.428.729.628.227.792.192.193.293.192.492.988.893.693.588.090.190.690.491.192.091.190.489.490.888.989.791.088.990.090.290.183.481.886.682.282.280.081.378.979.079.681.181.281.981.981.683.183.785.284.783.583.882.881.082.283.378.979.878.980.980.379.778.177.176.976.977.376.374.7
Source: Detailed data sources are available in the documentation of the corresponding tables in the Data Center (http://stats.unctad.org/data_center). A link to these tables is provided in each section of the profile.
Notes:
1
Sum of exports and imports.
2
Land area refers to the total area of a country excluding area under inland water bodies. It differs from the country area, that includes area under inland water bodies, but excludes offshore territorial waters.
Coastline length based on data calculated in 2000 from the World Vector Shoreline database at 1:250,000 scale.
3
Sum of exports and imports. Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 2009 (BPM6, 2009).
4
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 100 GT and above. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
5
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 100 GT and above, on 1 January. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
6
Propelled seagoing merchant vessels of 1000 GT and above, on 1 January. Source: Clarksons Research (https://www.clarksons.com/services/research/).
7
UNCTAD Secretariat, derived from various sources including Dynamar B.V. Publications, terminal operators and port authorities. Refers to year 2020.
8
Refers to year 2021. Source: BIMCO-ICS Manpower Report 2015 and BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report, 2021 edition.
9
UNCTAD Secretariat, based on data provided by MarineTraffic (http://marinetraffic.com). Ships of 1000 GT and above.
10
Statistics presented correspond to the 6th edition of the IMF Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 2009 (BPM6, 2009).
11
UNCTAD Secretariat, generated from data provided by MDS Transmodal (https://www.mdst.co.uk).
e
Estimated.
o
Estimated. Data refers to 2020.
Symbols for missing values:
0
Zero means that the amount is nil or negligible
..
Not available or not separately reported
_
Not applicable
...
Not available, including no quotation
#
Non-relevant calculation
-
Not publishable
***
Negative accumulation of flows; Value included in regional and global totals
Abbreviations & acronyms:
DWT:
Dead weight tons
LNG:
Liquefied natural gas
LPG:
Liquefied petroleum gas
GDP:
Gross domestic product
GT:
Gross tons
TEU:
Twenty foot equivalent unit
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of the material on UNCTADstat do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Where the designations "economy" or "country or area" appear in texts or tables, they cover regions, countries, territories, cities or areas.
The designations "developing", "transition" and "developed" are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular economy in the development process.

UNCTAD strives for the highest level of accuracy and is committed to promptly correcting any errors on its part. It does not guarantee or make any express or implied representations regarding the accuracy, reliability, correctness, fitness for use for a particular purpose, or otherwise, whatsoever, of any of the tables in UNCTADstat.
Generation date: 20 October 2022