Share of female sole proprietors in Belgium
Belgium: Share of female sole proprietors was 42.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share 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. Measured in % of sole proprietors.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of female sole proprietors in Belgium is 42.1%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 4.3% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of female sole proprietors in Belgium peaked at 44.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 38.6%, in 2015.
That places Belgium 23rd out of 78 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of female sole proprietors in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of sole proprietors | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 40.4% | — |
| 2015 | 38.6% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 39.0% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 39.9% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 39.4% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 39.3% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 40.0% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 41.7% | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 44.0% | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 42.1% | -4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 39.4% | 38.6% | 40.4% | 6 |
| 2020s | 42.0% | 40.0% | 44.0% | 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 share of female sole proprietors in Belgium?
- Share of female sole proprietors in Belgium was 42.1% 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 share of female sole proprietors recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 44.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of female sole proprietors recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.6% in 2015.
- How does Belgium rank for share of female sole proprietors?
- Belgium ranks 23rd out of 78 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of female sole proprietors rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. 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 Share of female sole proprietors (% of sole proprietors). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of female sole proprietors is the proportion of female newly registered sole proprietors out of the total number of newly registered sole proprietors in the economy 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.