Belgian GDP avoided a dip in Q3, but our present forecast suggests Q4 could be worse. A short and shallow recession looks likely as record-shattering inflation is expected to gradually abate throughout 2023. Consumer spending and corporate investment remain sluggish, but the negative impact of energy prices on household budgets looks more limited than many had feared. Active government intervention played a big part here, but fiscal consolidation remains necessary.
Belgian GDP grew by 0.2% in the second quarter of this year. Private consumption continued its upward trajectory in the first half of 2022 but is expected to slow down as inflation remains at an all-time high. Higher labour and energy costs are weighing on firms, with investment expenditures once again below pre-pandemic levels. A recession as from the end of this year looks unavoidable. Active fiscal policy should ensure it remains a shallow one but the cost to public finances will be sizeable [...]
Belgian GDP grew by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2022, as inflation continues to reach new all-time highs. Consumer confidence took a hit at the start of the Russian invasion, with growth subsequently likely to have come to a standstill. Index-linking of wages as an income-protection mechanism should eventually soften the inflation-induced blow to private consumption, but the international competitiveness of Belgian firms will suffer as a result [...]
Belgian GDP grew by 0.5% in the fourth quarter of last year, full-year growth amounting to 6.1%. Having completed a full recovery to pre-covid levels faster than expected, a gradual slowdown from above-potential growth was our base case scenario, even though (energy-)prices continued their upward trajectory and labour market pressures built up. The war in Ukraine will further derail these prospects [...]
Q3 Belgian GDP growth came in at 2% q/q, which is well above consensus. GDP thus exceeded its pre-Covid level for the first time since the start of the pandemic. For this year, we estimate the growth rate to reach 6.1% in annual average terms, with a slower but still above-potential growth rate of 3.1% expected for next year [...]
Belgian GDP increased by 1.7% in the second quarter. Consequently, quarterly GDP came within 2% of its pre-covid level. We expect full year growth to come in at 5.5% this year, slowing down to 3.0% in 2022. Increased government spending helped stave off worse outcomes for the labour market and Belgian firms, which resulted in a quick rebound in investment-related spending by all sectors. Private consumption is rebounding more gradually against a backdrop of GDP growth slowing down.
The Belgian economy grew at an above-potential rate in the first quarter of this year, and looks to be on course to maintain this pace throughout the year. Full year growth is expected to come in at 5.1%. Private sector sentiment is strong and the labour market is emerging from the health crisis virtually unharmed, with the unemployment rate still hovering at around 5% [...]
The Belgian economy shrunk by 6.3% in 2020. This amounts to the biggest post-war decline on record. A better-than-expected fourth quarter pushed the final numbers up somewhat and will have a positive effect on the yearly growth rate for the whole of 2021, which we see at 3.7%. Consumption suffered during the second lockdown at year’s end and is expected to dip again in April, as the government reinstated shopping on appointment only and instructed schools to extend the Easter holiday break [...]
We expect the Belgian economy to lose 7.2% of its size this year, followed by a 3.8% increase next year. After a strong recovery in the third quarter, private consumption is expected to decline again at the end of this year, but not as much as during the first lockdown. So far, structural damages seem to have been mainly avoided, with bankruptcies close to their normal level and unemployment rates stable since the beginning of the year [...]
We expect the Belgian economy to lose 7.5% of its size this year and grow by 4.6% next year. Consumption is on course for a strong recovery but corporates remain hesitant to invest, with government interventions expected to pick up some of the slack. Government formation talks are likely to have entered a final phase. The new coalition will have its work cut out for it, as both supportive measures in the short term and a deficit-reduction program in the medium term are needed.
We expect GDP to shrink 11.1% this year and grow by 5.9% next year. The unemployment rate could reach 9%, its highest level in 22 years. Different branches of the government have announced measures to counter the impact of the covid-virus but federal government formation talks are still ongoing, which complicates matters [...]
Due to the Covid-19 virus our growth outlook declines by 5 percentage points to -3.5% for the whole of 2020, despite government measures to attenuate the impact of the epidemic. We see strong hits across almost all sectors, most notably construction and real estate related activities. Prime Minister Wilmés was empowered by a “corona coalition”, which provides a welcome if only temporary breather from government formation talks [...]
Belgian GDP growth is expected to drop to 0.8% in 2020, down from 1.3% in 2019. Domestic demand remains the key engine of growth, partially offset by a negative contribution from net trade. Private consumption growth is reduced as employment increases now at a slower pace, after 4 strong years. Investment growth is up, spurred on by public expenditures. The lack of a majority-backed government contributed to renewed fiscal slippage, which remains a key risk for the Belgian economy.
Belgian GDP growth is expected to come down from last year’s 1.4% to a mere 1% in 2019 and 0.7% in 2020. This reflects a further slowdown in international trade, which is only partially offset by resilient domestic demand. Despite a slowdown in job creation, a pickup in disposable income spurs on private consumption well into 2020. Public finance remains a key risk-factor with government debt in excess of 100% of GDP [...]
Over the next quarters economic growth will remain stable. Rising labour market capacity constraints and a lower contribution by net international trade are weighing on the overall outlook. With also uncertainties in the international (trade war, Brexit) and national (government formation talks) context unlikely to dissolve anytime soon, our base case is one of below potential growth up until 2020.
Activity is unlikely to pick up again after sluggish growth in the first half of the year. Jobs are, however, still being created at a solid pace, cushioning possible spill-over effects from the weakening external environment. Corporate investment remains rather slow, partly because of geopolitical tensions. The budget stance remains too accommodative, as further fiscal consolidation seems rather unlikely, given the upcoming federal elections in May 2019 [...]
Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy. Decision-making powers are divided between the federal government, three language-based communities (Flemish, French and German-speaking) and three regions (Flanders, Brussels Capital and Wallonia). Belgium is a small open and diversified economy. Intra-EU trade is important: it accounts for 65% of Belgium’s exports (mostly Germany, France and the Netherlands) and around 6o% of its imports.
High public debt ratio remains a source of weakness for Belgium’s economy. However, fiscal credibility is sound, and the country has proved in the past its ability to address fiscal imbalances. In the early 1990s, the public debt ratio was as high as 135% but it steadily diminished and fell back to 87% in 2007. Its rise from that date to 2014 is a consequence of the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. It has been back on a downtrend since 2015. Regarding fiscal deficit trends, Belgium managed to exit the excessive deficit procedure in 2014. The IMF article IV statement noted that these outcomes have been supported by fiscal and structural reforms undertaken in recent years, including a key pension reform, an overhaul of the corporate income tax regime, and a reduction in labour taxes. The reduction of the public debt burden continues to represent one of the country’s main policy challenges in the medium to long term. Other challenges include the impact of rising private debt burdens, an ageing population, slowing productivity growth and climate change.
