Number of female sole proprietors in Belgium
Belgium: Number of female sole proprietors was 22,233 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of female sole proprietors in Belgium, 2014–2023
Source: World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
Analysis
In 2023, number of female sole proprietors in Belgium stood at 22,233.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.4% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of female sole proprietors in Belgium peaked at 26,608 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17,815, in 2015.
Belgium ranks 20th of 78 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Number of female sole proprietors in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 22,408 | — |
| 2015 | 17,815 | -20.5% |
| 2016 | 18,858 | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 21,765 | +15.4% |
| 2018 | 22,333 | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 23,548 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 23,221 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 25,331 | +9.1% |
| 2022 | 26,608 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 22,233 | -16.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 21,121 | 17,815 | 23,548 | 6 |
| 2020s | 24,348 | 22,233 | 26,608 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More private sector data for Belgium
- Merchandise trade 152.4% (2025)
- Food imports 11.8% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 66.2% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 537.70 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 13.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 69.1% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 568.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 47,573 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7831 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 2.44 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of female sole proprietors in Belgium?
- Number of female sole proprietors in Belgium was 22,233 in 2023, according to World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026.
- What is the highest number of female sole proprietors recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 26,608 in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of female sole proprietors recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,815 in 2015.
- How does Belgium rank for number of female sole proprietors?
- Belgium ranks 20th out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of female sole proprietors rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank's Entrepreneurship Survey and database (https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/entrepreneurship). Downloaded on May 2, 2026, published as part of Number of female sole proprietors. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of female sole proprietors is the number of newly registered sole proprietors owned by female individuals in the calendar year. A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned and managed by a single individual who is indistinguishable from the business and personally liable.