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Belgium

Belgium

General Information

  • Population 11.6m
  • Population 15 + 9.6m
  • Online Population 10.5m
  • Area 30,689 km2
  • Currency EUR
  • GDP 513.1bn USD
  • GDP per Capita 44,529 USD
  • Card-based payments
  • Cash-based payments
  • Bank transfer
  • Wallets
  • Other
[{"label":"Card-based payments","value":"49"},{"label":"Cash-based payments","value":"4"},{"label":"Bank transfer","value":"19"},{"label":"Wallets","value":"14"},{"label":"Other","value":"14"}]
Banked population
  • Belgium 99%
  • Western & Central Europe 94%
  • World 67%
Credit card penetration
  • Belgium 48%
  • Western & Central Europe 46%
  • World 19%
Internet penetration
  • Belgium 91%
  • Western & Central Europe 91%
  • World 62%
Smartphone penetration
  • Belgium 82%
  • Western & Central Europe 75%
  • World 70%

Since 2018 there is no ban on evening and Sunday work anymore which has been speeding up online deliveries in 2019. In 2021 the Belgium postal service Bpost invested in expanding e-commerce logistics after an upsurge in deliveries in 2020.

Belgium’s economy dropped by 6.4% in 2020 but is forecast to grow by 4% in 2021 and 3.1% in 2022 according to the IMF. Inflation also rose in 2020 by 0.4% and is expected to rise by 1.7% in 2021 and by 1.9% in 2022.

From 1st July 2021 taxes are charged on all e-commerce purchases made in Belgium whether the purchase is shipped from within the EU or not, and is chargeable from the first cent.

Future e-commerce trends (2021-2025)

E-Commerce market size forecast ($US billion)
2021 13.3
2022 14.9
2023 16.5
2024 18.1
2025 19.8
E-Commerce spending per capita ($US)
2021 1155
2022 1286
2023 1417
2024 1552
2025 1690
E-Commerce spending as % of GDP
2021 2.3
2022 2.5
2023 2.7
2024 2.8
2025 3.0

Belgium

The E-Commerce Market

Top e-commerce segments 2019 |2020

  1. Airlines & Hotels: 60% | 35%
  2. Health & Beauty: 9% | 20%
  3. Electrical Goods: 10% | 13%
  4. Toys, DIY, & Hobbies: 8% | 11%
  5. Homeware & Furniture: 6% | 10%

Cross-border e-commerce

  1. Cross-border proportion of total e-commerce – 18%
  2. Value of cross-border e-commerce ($US billion) – 2.3
  3. % of online shoppers who have shopped cross-border – 72%

Top 3 cross-border shopping origin markets

  1. The Netherlands: 33%
  2. China: 25%
  3. France: 21%
E-commerce % of total retail
  • Belgium 8%
  • Western & Central Europe 17.6%
  • World 20%
E-commerce completed on a mobile device
  • Belgium 21%
  • Western & Central Europe 43%
  • World 53%

The Credit Card Split

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Local Schemes
  • Other
[{"label":"Visa","value":"12"},{"label":"Mastercard","value":"4"},{"label":"American Express","value":"1"},{"label":"Local Schemes","value":"79"},{"label":"Other","value":"4"}]
  • E-commerce market size ($US billion) 12.5bn USD
  • E-Commerce spending per capita ($US) 1,091 USD
  • E-commerce spending as % of GDP 2.9

Belgium

Local Payment Methods

Bancontact Type Local payment card Regions Western & Central Europe Market relevance High BitPay Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Payconiq Type Wallet Regions Western & Central Europe PayPal Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High PaysafeCard Type Prepaid voucher Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High PaysafeCash Type Cash Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, North America + 1 Satispay Type Wallet Regions Western & Central Europe Market relevance Medium SEPA Direct Debit Type Bank transfer Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, Western & Central Europe Market relevance High Skrill Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Trustly Type Bank transfer Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, North America + 1 Market relevance High TrustPay Type Bank transfer Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, Western & Central Europe Allied Wallet Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High UnionPay Type Local payment card Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Apple Pay Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Amazon Pay Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, North America + 1 Market relevance High Boku Type Carrier billing Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High DaoPay Type Carrier billing Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Google Pay Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Klarna Type Bank transfer, Buy Now, Pay Later, Instalments Regions Asia Pacific, North America, Western & Central Europe Market relevance High Masterpass Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Mobiamo Type Carrier billing Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High Orange Money Type Wallet Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 1 Market relevance High Razer Gold Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High SEPA Credit Transfer Type Bank transfer Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, Western & Central Europe Market relevance High SWIFT Type Bank transfer Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance High AfterPay Type Buy Now, Pay Later Regions Western & Central Europe Market relevance Medium Lydia Type Wallet Regions Western & Central Europe Market relevance Medium Secure Remote Commerce (SRC) Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance Medium SEPA Instant Credit Transfers (SCT Inst) Type Bank transfer Regions Eastern Europe & the CIS, Western & Central Europe Market relevance Medium G2A Pay Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 Market relevance Medium ING Home’Pay Type Bank transfer Regions Western & Central Europe KBC Touch Type Bank transfer Regions Western & Central Europe Microsoft Pay Type Wallet Regions North America, Western & Central Europe NETELLER Type Wallet Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3 SafetyPay Type Bank transfer, Cash Regions South & Central America, Western & Central Europe Market relevance High Sofort (Klarna) Type Bank transfer Regions Asia Pacific, Western & Central Europe Market relevance High Splitit Type Instalments Regions Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe & the CIS, Middle East & Africa + 3

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