Largest employers
Full-time equivalents according to the fiscal year 2024 accounts
- 1 Retail trade239,656
- 2 Wholesale trade231,787
- 3 Employment activities197,366
- 4 Land transport123,285
- 5 Social work without accommodation121,137
How large, how young, how profitable and how healthy is each Belgian sector? Compare every NACE division on size, employment, starters, profitability, financial health, structure and risk, and open a sector for the detail.
Each tile is a NACE division. Choose what the area and the colour show: size, dynamics, profitability, financial health, filing, structure or risk.
Starters: Companies that started in the past twelve months and are registered today, per 100 current registrations. Divisions counted in an older NACE classification get no starter figure: starters are registered in the current one.
Click a tile to open the sector · as of 26-09-2026 05:30
The five divisions leading on each aspect, with a minimum size so a small division does not top a list on a handful of cases.
Full-time equivalents according to the fiscal year 2024 accounts
Starters in 12 months per 100 active companies; divisions from 1,000 companies
Median return on equity; divisions from 100 annual accounts
Median solvency; divisions from 100 annual accounts
Bankruptcies in 12 months per 1,000 active companies; divisions from 1,000 companies
88 NACE divisions in 22 sections. Search by name or code, sort by a column.
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The dot colours the figure as on the map: against Belgium for a figure with a better and a worse side, otherwise against the other divisions.
88 divisions, as of 26-09-2026 05:30. Click a column header to sort.
| Division | Current registrations ↓ | Starters per 100 (12 mo) | Employment (FTE) | Median solvency | Median equity | Median net result | Bankruptcies, historical share | Bankruptcy probability (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium, unique registrations | 1,964,325 | 7.5 | 2,280,786 | 46.34% | €101,284 | €15,648 | 1.41% | 0.45% |
| 43 Specialised construction activities | 130,125 | 9.0 | 118,920 | 44.79% | €81,770 | €12,701 | 2.68% | 1.10% |
| 47 Retail trade | 117,130 | 9.0 | 239,656 | 34.22% | €92,328 | €10,651 | 2.06% | 0.84% |
| 70 Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 88,166 | 10.4 | 82,038 | 55.91% | €124,710 | €29,026 | 0.65% | 0.22% |
| 86 Human health activities | 72,719 | 7.3 | 107,687 | 66.19% | €167,319 | €62,454 | 0.16% | 0.08% |
| 96 Personal service activities | 70,839 | 10.8 | 81,879 | 27.01% | €21,325 | €4,097 | 0.78% | 0.72% |
| 46 Wholesale trade | 62,737 | 4.6 | 231,787 | 41.21% | €194,784 | €16,220 | 1.91% | 0.56% |
| 56 Food and beverage service activities | 60,723 | 9.0 | 57,162 | 28.84% | €35,201 | €6,783 | 5.47% | 2.32% |
| 68 Real estate activities | 55,355 | 5.2 | 26,151 | 31.18% | €166,856 | €6,778 | 0.95% | 0.32% |
| 62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities | 48,626 | 10.5 | 72,747 | 58.24% | €85,731 | €27,560 | 0.71% | 0.30% |
| 01 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities | 47,563 | 4.1 | 16,466 | 35.48% | €187,134 | €15,123 | 0.28% | 0.12% |
| 69 Legal and accounting activities | 42,569 | 8.0 | 25,889 | 55.28% | €122,969 | €40,861 | 0.28% | 0.16% |
| 82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 41,081 | 11.1 | 41,009 | 47.46% | €85,903 | €17,147 | 0.98% | 0.34% |
| 71 Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 39,623 | 7.4 | 51,433 | 51.20% | €88,453 | €17,956 | 0.57% | 0.29% |
| 81 Services to buildings and landscape activities | 37,056 | 13.7 | 67,381 | 40.09% | €67,294 | €11,693 | 1.86% | 1.12% |
| 85 Education | 35,330 | 11.4 | 31,450 | 48.74% | €81,725 | €9,006 | 0.22% | 0.04% |
| 41 Construction of residential and non-residential buildings | 32,312 | 9.4 | 39,099 | 39.70% | €67,897 | €10,485 | 3.74% | 1.39% |
| 74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 31,321 | 11.0 | 6,705 | 46.64% | €53,502 | €10,240 | 0.51% | 0.35% |
| 90 Arts creation and performing arts activities | 29,134 | 9.6 | 10,535 | 45.94% | €66,292 | €8,663 | 0.43% | 0.04% |
| 73 Advertising, market research and public relations activities | 26,445 | 7.8 | 26,144 | 50.80% | €81,548 | €15,406 | 0.90% | 0.57% |
| 64 Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding | 26,381 | 3.0 | 33,033 | 54.39% | €333,484 | €40,452 | 0.78% | 0.19% |
| 45 Wholesale/retail of motor vehicles | 25,085 | - | 54,678 | 33.92% | €113,950 | €13,219 | 2.48% | 0.65% |
| 49 Land transport and transport via pipelines | 23,638 | 11.6 | 123,285 | 37.19% | €67,662 | €9,959 | 4.02% | 1.78% |
| 93 Sports, amusement and recreation activities | 22,733 | 6.9 | 16,076 | 28.63% | €61,414 | €6,140 | 0.70% | 0.04% |
| 95 Repair and maintenance of computers, personal and household goods, and motor vehicles and motorcycles | 20,477 | 11.0 | 18,162 | 37.70% | €93,563 | €13,845 | 1.63% | 0.53% |
| 25 Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 10,964 | 5.4 | 58,685 | 44.98% | €225,261 | €22,329 | 2.04% | 0.67% |
| 94 Activities of membership organisations | 9,858 | 2.2 | 24,438 | 61.87% | €582,783 | €9,847 | 0.15% | 0.00% |
| 10 Manufacture of food products | 9,702 | 8.4 | 74,463 | 33.89% | €123,377 | €21,101 | 2.30% | 0.89% |
| 66 Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities | 9,399 | 4.6 | 16,903 | 44.34% | €190,645 | €44,485 | 0.35% | 0.30% |
| 55 Accommodation | 8,620 | 7.7 | 19,189 | 23.86% | €108,654 | €4,383 | 1.06% | 0.60% |
| 77 Rental and leasing activities | 8,545 | 7.7 | 15,015 | 34.04% | €134,167 | €10,737 | 1.11% | 0.71% |
| 59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities | 7,986 | 11.0 | 4,558 | 44.48% | €55,733 | €6,740 | 0.81% | 0.35% |
| 63 Computing infrastructure, data processing, hosting and other information service activities | 7,970 | 9.5 | 13,514 | 53.26% | €81,544 | €19,118 | 0.85% | 0.31% |
| 33 Repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment | 7,329 | 9.5 | 16,170 | 42.93% | €102,922 | €20,949 | 1.95% | 0.98% |
| 52 Warehousing and support activities for transportation | 6,356 | 9.2 | 75,683 | 38.58% | €223,078 | €25,390 | 2.61% | 0.83% |
| 75 Veterinary activities | 6,082 | 9.4 | 1,171 | 51.70% | €103,787 | €32,387 | 0.03% | 0.07% |
| 42 Civil engineering | 5,955 | 7.5 | 41,613 | 43.13% | €127,574 | €23,383 | 3.01% | 0.85% |
| 88 Social work activities without accommodation | 5,605 | 6.2 | 121,137 | 49.04% | €259,144 | €20,511 | 0.36% | 0.02% |
| 32 Other manufacturing | 5,430 | 12.7 | 9,434 | 42.01% | €112,187 | €11,443 | 0.55% | 0.40% |
| 53 Postal and courier activities | 5,328 | 25.8 | 30,514 | 31.18% | €38,434 | €7,850 | 4.84% | 2.86% |
| 18 Printing and reproduction of recorded media | 5,030 | 4.4 | 9,113 | 46.36% | €96,619 | €9,194 | 1.07% | 0.40% |
| 97 Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel | 4,996 | 11.9 | 7,557 | 31.12% | €192,404 | €48,682 | 0.08% | 0.66% |
| 58 Publishing activities | 3,755 | 11.9 | 8,680 | 46.02% | €83,983 | €7,691 | 0.96% | 0.35% |
| 79 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities | 3,731 | 8.2 | 5,538 | 32.98% | €123,533 | €15,748 | 0.75% | 0.99% |
| 16 Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials | 3,367 | 5.9 | 11,274 | 43.49% | €151,777 | €13,524 | 1.25% | 0.52% |
| 78 Employment activities | 3,272 | 7.2 | 197,366 | 41.98% | €97,932 | €18,891 | 1.62% | 0.60% |
| 31 Manufacture of furniture | 3,011 | 4.5 | 8,895 | 38.45% | €127,589 | €10,143 | 1.43% | 0.68% |
| 23 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 2,976 | 8.4 | 25,031 | 46.58% | €337,172 | €25,103 | 1.34% | 0.35% |
| 02 Forestry and logging | 2,413 | 4.7 | 1,147 | 44.06% | €209,218 | €8,490 | 0.79% | 0.22% |
| 13 Manufacture of textiles | 2,383 | 8.2 | 14,058 | 45.79% | €300,676 | €16,961 | 0.88% | 0.17% |
| 72 Scientific research and development | 2,328 | 7.4 | 24,974 | 55.06% | €266,884 | €23,227 | 1.16% | 0.34% |
| 28 Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified | 2,318 | 3.5 | 37,501 | 45.04% | €454,842 | €35,556 | 1.77% | 0.43% |
| 84 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 2,298 | 0.5 | 8,842 | 51.78% | €855,227 | €20,181 | 0.13% | 0.01% |
| 14 Manufacture of wearing apparel | 2,053 | 8.3 | 3,054 | 36.03% | €84,117 | €4,618 | 0.54% | 0.46% |
| 61 Telecommunications | 2,050 | 16.0 | 9,791 | 41.09% | €73,542 | €10,559 | 2.54% | 1.60% |
| 87 Residential care activities | 2,042 | 1.2 | 114,707 | 45.94% | €1.1m | €46,490 | 0.34% | 0.01% |
| 35 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 1,787 | 10.0 | 19,311 | 34.05% | €453,307 | €15,758 | 0.78% | 0.31% |
| 38 Waste collection, recovery and disposal activities | 1,645 | 7.6 | 18,458 | 39.97% | €570,765 | €44,064 | 2.19% | 0.51% |
| 60 Programming, broadcasting, news agency and other content distribution activities | 1,429 | 16.6 | 4,590 | 46.92% | €64,920 | €4,786 | 0.70% | 0.29% |
| 11 Manufacture of beverages | 1,394 | 5.9 | 7,884 | 23.51% | €38,407 | -€1,538 | 2.01% | 0.64% |
| 22 Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 1,315 | 11.6 | 21,902 | 46.91% | €730,061 | €39,959 | 2.13% | 0.52% |
| 20 Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 1,273 | 5.2 | 44,074 | 45.87% | €971,188 | €47,952 | 1.89% | 0.26% |
| 50 Water transport | 1,264 | 6.5 | 1,563 | 39.73% | €317,928 | €27,383 | 0.79% | 0.29% |
| 80 Investigation and security activities | 1,149 | 7.5 | 15,396 | 42.78% | €85,692 | €14,532 | 2.44% | 0.54% |
| 27 Manufacture of electrical equipment | 1,073 | 4.5 | 15,116 | 41.84% | €225,595 | €16,541 | 3.08% | 0.90% |
| 26 Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 1,010 | 5.0 | 15,927 | 47.74% | €244,632 | €20,380 | 1.29% | 0.15% |
| 91 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities | 967 | 3.6 | 4,727 | 51.90% | €418,794 | €10,358 | 0.41% | 0.01% |
| 29 Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers | 745 | 5.4 | 22,823 | 40.99% | €392,537 | €33,640 | 1.88% | 0.41% |
| 24 Manufacture of basic metals | 612 | 4.4 | 25,068 | 41.56% | €469,180 | €20,878 | 1.47% | 0.50% |
| 51 Air transport | 525 | 6.9 | 5,011 | 38.49% | €75,999 | €10,905 | 1.14% | 0.67% |
| 92 Gambling and betting activities | 505 | 5.0 | 1,939 | 59.01% | €225,903 | €19,852 | 3.37% | 0.85% |
| 65 Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security | 450 | 1.8 | 877 | 42.02% | €166,190 | €43,685 | 0.22% | - |
| 17 Manufacture of paper and paper products | 419 | 3.3 | 11,002 | 44.38% | €1.0m | €59,860 | 1.91% | 0.46% |
| 30 Manufacture of other transport equipment | 379 | 7.7 | 6,227 | 33.89% | €136,884 | €9,278 | 2.64% | 0.83% |
| 21 Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 376 | 2.4 | 27,644 | 42.64% | €420,351 | €24,018 | 2.93% | 0.58% |
| 37 Sewerage | 361 | 6.1 | 2,897 | 39.81% | €297,383 | €32,124 | 1.11% | 0.34% |
| 99 Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies | 354 | 0.3 | 24 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 15 Manufacture of leather and related products | 334 | 15.0 | 1,057 | 41.42% | €65,891 | €1,745 | 1.20% | 0.68% |
| 39 Remediation activities and other waste management service activities | 252 | 6.3 | 1,304 | 31.18% | €152,250 | €18,351 | 2.78% | 0.94% |
| 08 Other mining and quarrying | 235 | 3.0 | 3,290 | 50.49% | €901,051 | €28,830 | 1.28% | 0.35% |
| 03 Fishing and aquaculture | 223 | 4.0 | 489 | 42.67% | €444,925 | €13,530 | 3.59% | 0.61% |
| 36 Water collection, treatment and supply | 134 | 3.7 | 4,264 | 46.25% | €210,692 | €12,542 | 0.00% | 0.37% |
| 09 Mining support service activities | 55 | 3.6 | 102 | 44.30% | €741,015 | €36,132 | 0.00% | 0.26% |
| 19 Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products | 37 | 2.7 | 5,015 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 12 Manufacture of tobacco products | 27 | 0.0 | 1,115 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 07 Mining of metal ores | 5 | 0.0 | 11 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 06 Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 4 | 25.0 | 2 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 98 Undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of private households for own use | 4 | 25.0 | 39 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 05 Mining of coal and lignite | 2 | 0.0 | 7 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
Each division is counted in the NACE classification in which it exists. Bankruptcy probability is the median of the twelve-month bankruptcy probability Checked computes per company; the accounts medians come from annual accounts filed with the National Bank. A median is shown only from 30 companies.
Share of currently registered companies with a published bankruptcy opening in the past five years. Registered main activities in the selected classification can overlap. This retrospective share is not a future bankruptcy probability.
Each current enterprise registration is counted once nationally, including those without a main activity. The national row is therefore not the sum of the sectors.
New registrations are the companies registered today that started in the past twelve months. Bankruptcies over twelve months are current registrations with a bankruptcy opening published in that period. Where a division has no figure, none is shown.
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