Largest employers
Full-time equivalents according to the financial year 2025 accounts
- 1 Retail trade239,592
- 2 Wholesale trade236,141
- 3 Employment activities189,774
- 4 Human health150,231
- 5 Social work without accommodation125,503
Compare every Belgian sector by NACE division on size, employment, starters, profitability, financial strength, structure and risk. Open a sector for the detail.
Each tile is a sector. The colour follows the figure you choose.
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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.
The larger the tile, the more active companies the sector has.
The larger the tile, the more employees the sector has, in full-time equivalents from the filed accounts.
1 division without an employment figure is not on the map.
Click a tile to open the sector · as of 01-11-2026 05:30
Each leaderboard shows the five divisions leading on one aspect. Only divisions of a minimum size count, so a small division does not top a list on a handful of cases.
Full-time equivalents according to the financial year 2025 accounts
Starters in 12 months per 100 active companies, for divisions from 1,000 companies
Median return on equity, for divisions from 100 annual accounts
Median solvency, for divisions from 100 annual accounts
Bankruptcies in 12 months per 1,000 active companies, for 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's colour follows the map. A figure with a better and a worse side is compared with Belgium, any other figure with the other divisions.
88 divisions, as of 01-11-2026 05:30. Click a column header to sort.
| Division | Current registrations ↓ | Starters per 100 (12 months) | Employment (FTE) | Median solvency | Median equity | Median net result | Bankruptcies, historical share | Bankruptcy probability (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium, unique registrations | 1,974,108 | 7.5 | 2,384,255 | 46.17% | €98,595 | €16,569 | 1.61% | 0.21% |
| 43 Specialised construction activities | 128,977 | 8.9 | 118,402 | 45.25% | €82,246 | €13,194 | 2.95% | 0.69% |
| 47 Retail trade | 115,344 | 8.9 | 239,592 | 35.14% | €98,862 | €11,331 | 2.24% | 0.61% |
| 70 Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 88,089 | 10.2 | 75,560 | 54.21% | €113,285 | €29,790 | 0.73% | 0.10% |
| 86 Human health activities | 72,713 | 7.1 | 150,231 | 62.14% | €144,886 | €63,101 | 0.17% | 0.04% |
| 96 Personal service activities | 70,745 | 10.6 | 88,431 | 28.30% | €22,623 | €3,588 | 0.81% | 0.62% |
| 46 Wholesale trade | 61,503 | 4.5 | 236,141 | 42.28% | €208,400 | €17,273 | 2.17% | 0.35% |
| 56 Food and beverage service activities | 59,864 | 9.0 | 58,134 | 29.32% | €36,687 | €5,950 | 6.06% | 1.64% |
| 68 Real estate activities | 55,024 | 5.1 | 27,968 | 31.48% | €168,249 | €8,504 | 1.09% | 0.22% |
| 62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities | 48,648 | 10.7 | 77,830 | 55.70% | €79,896 | €28,190 | 0.80% | 0.09% |
| 01 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities | 47,253 | 4.0 | 16,665 | 36.64% | €198,058 | €16,003 | 0.32% | 0.14% |
| 69 Legal and accounting activities | 42,698 | 7.9 | 27,338 | 53.54% | €112,781 | €43,841 | 0.32% | 0.04% |
| 82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 40,613 | 10.7 | 40,839 | 47.13% | €80,879 | €18,023 | 1.09% | 0.18% |
| 71 Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 39,512 | 7.1 | 53,911 | 50.96% | €84,039 | €18,893 | 0.64% | 0.12% |
| 81 Services to buildings and landscape activities | 36,782 | 13.4 | 71,570 | 40.21% | €67,244 | €12,265 | 2.03% | 0.90% |
| 85 Education | 35,384 | 11.2 | 29,782 | 46.57% | €66,706 | €9,041 | 0.24% | 0.04% |
| 41 Construction of residential and non-residential buildings | 31,717 | 9.0 | 39,887 | 40.18% | €70,198 | €11,274 | 4.16% | 1.40% |
| 74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 31,151 | 10.8 | 6,615 | 46.42% | €51,887 | €10,122 | 0.56% | 0.20% |
| 90 Arts creation and performing arts activities | 29,088 | 9.5 | 10,858 | 46.71% | €63,634 | €7,938 | 0.45% | 0.05% |
| 73 Advertising, market research and public relations activities | 26,135 | 7.7 | 29,526 | 49.71% | €76,870 | €15,898 | 1.01% | 0.23% |
| 64 Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding | 26,066 | 2.9 | 35,485 | 52.67% | €329,329 | €42,589 | 0.80% | 0.16% |
| 45 Wholesale/retail of motor vehicles | 24,494 | - | 55,984 | 36.03% | €135,484 | €14,478 | 2.70% | 0.54% |
| 49 Land transport and transport via pipelines | 23,139 | 11.6 | 122,691 | 37.39% | €69,363 | €10,060 | 4.48% | 1.64% |
| 93 Sports, amusement and recreation activities | 22,602 | 6.7 | 16,688 | 29.00% | €59,953 | €5,659 | 0.80% | 0.06% |
| 95 Repair and maintenance of computers, personal and household goods, and motor vehicles and motorcycles | 20,309 | 10.9 | 18,056 | 39.04% | €100,000 | €13,871 | 1.68% | 0.59% |
| 25 Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 10,816 | 5.0 | 57,848 | 44.89% | €224,672 | €22,554 | 2.27% | 0.44% |
| 94 Activities of membership organisations | 9,759 | 2.1 | 24,461 | 63.73% | €581,431 | €9,836 | 0.13% | 0.03% |
| 10 Manufacture of food products | 9,609 | 8.2 | 76,662 | 33.34% | €129,037 | €18,206 | 2.67% | 0.94% |
| 66 Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities | 9,242 | 4.6 | 19,589 | 44.76% | €190,547 | €46,536 | 0.36% | 0.16% |
| 55 Accommodation | 8,530 | 7.5 | 19,440 | 24.73% | €116,867 | €3,694 | 1.21% | 0.53% |
| 77 Rental and leasing activities | 8,426 | 7.7 | 15,473 | 33.59% | €137,241 | €10,271 | 1.22% | 0.47% |
| 59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities | 7,975 | 11.2 | 4,582 | 43.00% | €53,702 | €6,131 | 0.84% | 0.29% |
| 63 Computing infrastructure, data processing, hosting and other information service activities | 7,852 | 9.6 | 15,255 | 51.40% | €80,814 | €20,113 | 0.97% | 0.18% |
| 33 Repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment | 7,262 | 9.0 | 16,814 | 42.31% | €102,918 | €22,552 | 2.02% | 0.69% |
| 52 Warehousing and support activities for transportation | 6,286 | 9.1 | 80,270 | 39.37% | €231,855 | €25,606 | 2.72% | 0.75% |
| 75 Veterinary activities | 6,094 | 9.3 | 1,471 | 50.62% | €96,740 | €33,754 | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| 42 Civil engineering | 5,861 | 7.4 | 43,036 | 42.50% | €128,229 | €21,759 | 3.48% | 0.67% |
| 88 Social work activities without accommodation | 5,539 | 5.9 | 125,503 | 49.92% | €265,675 | €16,107 | 0.22% | 0.03% |
| 32 Other manufacturing | 5,405 | 12.5 | 9,655 | 43.03% | €114,710 | €13,672 | 0.68% | 0.31% |
| 53 Postal and courier activities | 5,366 | 27.7 | 29,871 | 31.53% | €39,843 | €7,361 | 4.85% | 2.69% |
| 97 Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel | 4,965 | 12.0 | 8,497 | 23.23% | €197,206 | €28,892 | 0.06% | 0.26% |
| 18 Printing and reproduction of recorded media | 4,938 | 4.1 | 9,167 | 46.79% | €93,972 | €8,332 | 1.24% | 0.33% |
| 58 Publishing activities | 3,787 | 13.2 | 9,646 | 45.60% | €77,060 | €8,020 | 0.95% | 0.11% |
| 79 Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities | 3,745 | 8.8 | 5,574 | 33.04% | €127,719 | €14,034 | 0.80% | 0.20% |
| 16 Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials | 3,350 | 5.6 | 11,471 | 43.11% | €163,847 | €14,310 | 1.37% | 0.45% |
| 78 Employment activities | 3,226 | 7.2 | 189,774 | 38.53% | €92,134 | €18,871 | 1.95% | 0.31% |
| 23 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 2,978 | 8.6 | 25,852 | 46.98% | €366,114 | €19,764 | 1.34% | 0.16% |
| 31 Manufacture of furniture | 2,946 | 4.6 | 8,365 | 39.72% | €129,597 | €9,652 | 1.49% | 0.54% |
| 02 Forestry and logging | 2,392 | 4.7 | 1,061 | 46.24% | €201,926 | €13,244 | 0.79% | 0.12% |
| 13 Manufacture of textiles | 2,360 | 7.6 | 14,634 | 47.51% | €327,060 | €17,104 | 1.06% | 0.16% |
| 72 Scientific research and development | 2,305 | 7.5 | 26,631 | 54.56% | €259,506 | €16,903 | 1.08% | 0.12% |
| 28 Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified | 2,287 | 3.2 | 36,883 | 44.56% | €463,778 | €34,717 | 2.19% | 0.28% |
| 84 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 2,284 | 0.4 | 10,806 | 53.74% | €1.1m | €34,507 | 0.13% | 0.03% |
| 87 Residential care activities | 2,024 | 1.1 | 122,310 | 47.56% | €1.2m | €38,607 | 0.44% | 0.03% |
| 14 Manufacture of wearing apparel | 2,022 | 8.3 | 2,973 | 37.54% | €69,975 | €5,029 | 0.54% | 0.27% |
| 61 Telecommunications | 1,982 | 16.0 | 17,699 | 41.19% | €79,099 | €9,568 | 2.88% | 0.70% |
| 35 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 1,772 | 9.5 | 22,260 | 32.59% | €450,851 | €22,526 | 1.07% | 0.22% |
| 38 Waste collection, recovery and disposal activities | 1,626 | 7.5 | 20,522 | 38.73% | €622,238 | €34,116 | 2.64% | 0.40% |
| 60 Programming, broadcasting, news agency and other content distribution activities | 1,435 | 17.1 | 4,778 | 47.82% | €76,352 | €4,497 | 0.49% | 0.08% |
| 11 Manufacture of beverages | 1,381 | 5.6 | 10,973 | 21.91% | €35,739 | -€1,278 | 2.03% | 0.58% |
| 22 Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 1,323 | 12.2 | 21,357 | 48.06% | €751,307 | €36,929 | 2.42% | 0.29% |
| 20 Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 1,260 | 5.5 | 44,750 | 47.36% | €1.1m | €53,950 | 2.14% | 0.25% |
| 50 Water transport | 1,243 | 6.1 | 1,503 | 42.63% | €342,651 | €21,173 | 0.97% | 0.20% |
| 80 Investigation and security activities | 1,130 | 7.5 | 18,194 | 40.06% | €85,231 | €13,682 | 2.57% | 0.29% |
| 27 Manufacture of electrical equipment | 1,059 | 4.2 | 15,162 | 43.03% | €240,080 | €17,232 | 3.31% | 0.41% |
| 26 Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 992 | 4.3 | 15,759 | 49.25% | €235,170 | €17,153 | 1.31% | 0.15% |
| 91 Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities | 961 | 3.6 | 4,770 | 53.33% | €479,178 | €11,428 | 0.52% | 0.03% |
| 29 Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers | 739 | 5.3 | 23,007 | 42.04% | €390,893 | €29,696 | 1.76% | 0.25% |
| 24 Manufacture of basic metals | 597 | 3.9 | 25,047 | 43.80% | €487,439 | €23,098 | 1.68% | 0.51% |
| 51 Air transport | 517 | 7.4 | 5,225 | 36.39% | €66,131 | €5,954 | 0.97% | 0.39% |
| 92 Gambling and betting activities | 494 | 5.7 | 2,264 | 61.93% | €250,119 | €16,669 | 3.24% | 0.44% |
| 65 Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security | 439 | 1.4 | 920 | 46.94% | €188,113 | €46,466 | 0.23% | - |
| 17 Manufacture of paper and paper products | 413 | 2.9 | 10,809 | 48.77% | €1.1m | €60,532 | 2.18% | 0.29% |
| 21 Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 377 | 3.2 | 34,796 | 44.61% | €432,439 | €22,729 | 3.18% | 0.32% |
| 30 Manufacture of other transport equipment | 372 | 6.5 | 6,601 | 35.41% | €168,366 | €3,515 | 2.69% | 0.58% |
| 37 Sewerage | 360 | 6.4 | 3,710 | 42.27% | €324,063 | €35,103 | 1.11% | 0.21% |
| 99 Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies | 343 | 0.0 | 17 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 15 Manufacture of leather and related products | 334 | 14.7 | 1,044 | 42.21% | €93,676 | €1,945 | 1.20% | 0.50% |
| 39 Remediation activities and other waste management service activities | 250 | 6.4 | 1,408 | 36.37% | €172,367 | €24,905 | 2.80% | 0.74% |
| 08 Other mining and quarrying | 229 | 2.2 | 3,132 | 51.00% | €975,290 | €31,710 | 1.31% | 0.17% |
| 03 Fishing and aquaculture | 222 | 4.1 | 441 | 39.21% | €340,489 | €486 | 4.05% | 0.53% |
| 36 Water collection, treatment and supply | 133 | 3.0 | 6,277 | 52.58% | €438,151 | €42,144 | 0.75% | 0.26% |
| 09 Mining support service activities | 53 | 3.8 | 102 | - | - | - | 0.00% | 0.10% |
| 19 Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products | 34 | 2.9 | 4,982 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 12 Manufacture of tobacco products | 27 | 0.0 | 1,275 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 07 Mining of metal ores | 5 | 0.0 | 14 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 98 Undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of private households for own use | 5 | 20.0 | - | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 06 Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 4 | 25.0 | 1 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
| 05 Mining of coal and lignite | 2 | 0.0 | 10 | - | - | - | 0.00% | - |
Each division is counted in the version of the NACE classification in which it exists. A division's bankruptcy probability is the median of the bankruptcy probabilities Checked computes per company. The accounts medians rest on the annual accounts filed with the National Bank. A median is shown only from 30 companies.
The historical share is the share of current registrations for which a bankruptcy opening was published in the past five years. A company with more than one main activity counts in each of those sectors. The historical share is not a future bankruptcy probability.
Each current registration counts once in the national row, including those without a main activity. That row is therefore not the sum of the sectors.
Starters are the companies that started in the twelve complete months before the count and are still registered today. They are the same twelve months as on every market page. Bankruptcies over twelve months are current registrations for which a bankruptcy opening was published in those months. A division without a figure gets a dash.
All figures cover the same twelve months, November 2025 to October 2026, and were counted on 1 November 2026. The same definitions apply on every Checked market page.
Only the companies still registered today count in the sector table. Each division is counted in the version of the NACE classification in which it exists.
| Incorporations | 152,441 |
|---|---|
| stopped or struck off since | -5,079 |
| Still active | 147,362 |
Leading companies by sector Rankings by sector, province and municipality
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