Belgium vs Portugal: Labor force, total

Belgium
5.46 million
in 2025
Portugal
5.49 million
in 2025
Belgium rank
82nd
Portugal rank
81st

Labor force, total over time

  • Belgium
  • Portugal
02.0M4.0M6.0M199020072025

How they compare

Portugal currently reports 5.49 million against 5.46 million in Belgium, a difference of 21,780.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Portugal ahead.

Belgium ranks 82nd and Portugal ranks 81st of 186 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 1 and Portugal in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium Portugal Difference Ahead
1990s 4.16 million 4.88 million 725,968 Portugal
2000s 4.55 million 5.43 million 879,636 Portugal
2010s 4.99 million 5.29 million 294,540 Portugal
2020s 5.32 million 5.30 million 15,762 Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher labor force, total, Belgium or Portugal?
Portugal, at 5.49 million against 5.46 million in Belgium as of 2025.
What is the difference in labor force, total between Belgium and Portugal?
21,780, with Portugal ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Portugal?
36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
How do Belgium and Portugal rank globally for labor force, total?
Belgium ranks 82nd and Portugal ranks 81st of 186 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as Labor force, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.