Belgium’s gross domestic product expanded by 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to September 2018, below a preliminary estimate of 0.4 percent and the same as in the previous period. Growth slowed for government expenditure (0.2 percent from 0.4 percent in Q2) and fell for household consumption (-0.2 percent from 0.3 percent). Meanwhile, fixed investment showed no growth, after a 0.1 percent gain in Q2; and net trade contributed positively to growth, as exports rose 0.8 percent (from 0.9 percent) while imports increased at a softer 0.2 percent (from 0.5 percent). Compared to the same quarter in 2017, the economy advanced 1.6 percent, lower than a preliminary estimate of 1.7 percent but higher than a 1.4 percent expansion in the second quarter. GDP Growth Rate in Belgium averaged 0.54 percent from 1980 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 15.80 percent in the first quarter of 1995 and a record low of -2.10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.
GDP Growth Rate in Belgium is expected to be 0.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate GDP Growth Rate in Belgium to stand at 0.50 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Belgium GDP Growth Rate is projected to trend around 0.50 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.