Belgium Federal state

Belgium is a federal state with a population of 11,365,800 (2017). The country’s local political and government system has undergone sweeping reforms in the past 30 years.
Belgium is divided into municipalities (Dutch: gemeeten), provinces (provincies), regions (gewenten) and communities (gemeenschappen).
Not all of these levels are subnational. Article 1 of the Belgian Constitution states that “Belgium is a federal state composed of Communities and Regions”. Its cultural communities and regions now share, with the federal government, powers that were once the sole preserve of the state.

Markers

STATE STRUCTURE:

Federal

CURRENCY:

Euro (EUR)

VOTE

Compulsory

21

SEATS AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Ratification of the European Charter
of Local Self-Government in 2004

602

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (IN 2016)
CAPITAL CITY:

Brussels
POPULATION:

11 365 800
GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE:

30 528 km2
MEMBER STATE

EU since 1958
Council of Europe since 1949

12

SEATS AT THE COMMITTEE
OF REGIONS

4

LEVELS OF SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS

Evolution

NUMBER OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES*

* Dates of CEMR publications