te enterprise economy has
capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed
transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base.
Industry is concentrated mainly in the populous Flemish area in the
north, although the government is encouraging investment in the
southern region of Wallonia. With few natural resources, Belgium
must import substantial quantities of raw materials and export a
large volume of manufactures, making its economy unusually dependent
on the state of world markets. About three-quarters of its trade is
with other EU countries. Belgium's public debt is expected to fall
below 100% of GDP in 2002, and the government has succeeded in
balancing is budget. Belgium became a charter member of the European
Monetary Union (EMU) in January 1999. Economic growth in 2000 was
broad based, putting the government in a good position to pursue its
energy market liberalization policies and planned tax cuts.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $259.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4%

industry: 26%

services: 72.6% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 4%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:
3.7%

highest 10%: 20.2% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 4.34 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: services 73%, industry 25%, agriculture
2% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.4% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $114.8 billion

expenditures: $117 billion, including capital expenditures of $7.6
billion (1999)

Industries: engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly,
processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles,
glass, petroleum, coal

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 79.829 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 40.01%

hydro: 0.42%

nuclear: 58.33%

other: 1.24% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 75.089 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 8.207 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 9.055 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits,
grain, tobacco; beef, veal, pork, milk

Exports: $181.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds,
metals an