Belgian companies listed on the stock market are expected to distribute €6.4 billion in dividends this year, a 3% increase from the €6.2 billion in 2024, according to a study by Allianz Global Investors (Allianz GI) on 2025 dividends published on Tuesday.
In Europe, dividends are projected to reach a record €459 billion, a 4% increase year-on-year.
Allianz GI anticipates these payments could even reach €496 billion in 2026, a 13% rise from the €440 billion recorded in 2024.
"Following continuous growth in dividends in Europe since the Covid-19 pandemic, this trend is continuing and intensifying, with the annual increase in distributions expected to accelerate," said Allianz GI.
Information technology and healthcare sectors are expected to see the highest increases in dividends in 2025, while the energy sector's dividends are expected to decline.
The financial sector remains the largest contributor, but is expected to experience slower growth in these payments.
The dividend yield, calculated as a percentage relative to current share prices, is also following this upward trend. The average yield was 3.3% at the end of 2024 in Europe and could reach 3.5% this year, surpassing the level of long-term German government bonds.
Austria leads the European ranking with a stable dividend yield of 6.2% in 2025, the same as in 2024.
In Belgium, the dividend yield is expected to rise from 2.3% last year to 2.4% this year.
