A tiny group of multinational companies provides almost a third of all jobs in Belgium, new figures from Statbel show.
The national statistics office says these firms make up only around 3% of all registered legal entities in the country, yet they employ more than 1.28 million people.
The data covers 2023 and offers one of the clearest pictures so far of how dependent Belgium is on international company groups.
What is a multinational?
A multinational group is simply a set of linked companies working across at least two different countries. They can be connected through ownership, finance or management.
Statbel identifies them using an EU register that tracks multinational groups across Europe.
The figures are classed as experimental, meaning the system is still being improved. Some numbers could shift slightly in future releases, but the overall picture is unlikely to change.
Foreign groups dominate Belgium
Only four in ten multinational groups operating in Belgium are actually led from Belgium itself. Most are controlled from abroad, mainly from nearby countries such as the Netherlands, France or Germany. The United States is also a major source of parent companies.
This means many decisions that may affect Belgian workers are taken outside the country itself. This includes choices concerning investment, restructuring and whether to expand or cut operations.
Geography plays a role. Dutch-headed groups are common, but they do not always provide similar shares of jobs. French and German groups remain especially important employers, reflecting their long-standing presence in sectors such as automotive, chemicals, retail and industrial manufacturing.
Belgian groups stay close to home
The report also looks at Belgian-headed groups with activities abroad. Here, the numbers show a clear pattern: most Belgian companies with foreign branches keep their operations close.
Three out of four Belgian-headed groups work in only one other country beyond Belgium. France, the Netherlands and Germany are the main choices. Only a small number operate in six countries or more.
Although many Belgian groups set up small units in neighbouring markets, their bigger foreign operations are often found further east. Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic host fewer Belgian subsidiaries, but the ones they do have tend to employ more people.
Manufacturing still leads the way
Manufacturing remains the biggest source of jobs within multinational groups based in Belgium. This includes industries such as chemicals, food production, metals and pharmaceuticals.
Other sectors, including professional services and retail, contain many separate legal units but employ fewer people overall. These companies often run lots of small offices or outlets rather than large sites.
The new figures show how central multinationals are to Belgium's economy. With such a small number of companies providing so many jobs, any major decision by a foreign parent group can have a big impact locally.
The data also highlights the gap between Belgium as a host country for foreign groups and the more limited international reach of Belgian firms themselves.
