Belgium business growth slows as closures rise to 10.9 percent

The total number of VAT-registered businesses in Belgium exceeded 1.2 million by the end of 2025, reaching 1,202,139. While new business creations rose by 5.2 percent to 119,189, this growth was tempered by a 10.9 percent increase in business closures, totaling 104,869 entities.

As a result, the overall net increase was 14,320 businesses, representing a growth rate of 1.2 percent, which is a slowdown from the 1.6 percent growth recorded in 2024. The one-year survival rate for companies established in 2024 also saw a slight decline to 88.6 percent, down from 89.3 percent for the 2023 cohort.

Regionally, Wallonia demonstrated the highest stability with an 89.9 percent one-year survival rate, followed by Flanders at 88.4 percent and Brussels at 87 percent. Brussels experienced the most significant decline in early-stage survival rates compared to the previous year and continues to see businesses migrating to other regions.