ials and export a large volume of manufactures, making its
economy unusually dependent on the state of world markets. Roughly
three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Public debt
is about 100% of GDP, and the government has succeeded in balancing
its budget. Belgium, together with 11 of its EU partners, began
circulating the euro currency in January 2002. Economic growth in
2001-03 dropped sharply because of the global economic slowdown.
Prospects for 2004 again depend largely on recovery in the EU and
the US.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $299.1 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,100 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.9%
industry: 26.3%
services: 71.8% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.7% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
4% (1989 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 23% (1996)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.7 (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
4.73 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1.3%, industry 24.5%, services 74.2% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8.1% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $151.6 billion
expenditures: $151.1 billion, including capital expenditures of
$1.56 billion (2003)

Public debt:
102% of GDP (2003 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
-1.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
74.28 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
78.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
6.712 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
15.82 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
595,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
450,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
1.042 million bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
15.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
15.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account ba