The National Bank of Belgium, on behalf of the National Accounts Institute, in collaboration with the King Baudouin Foundation, has released an updated version of the satellite account for non-profit institutions (NPIs). This report highlights the significant economic contribution of these organizations.
In 2023, Belgium had nearly 29,000 NPIs. Together, they represented approximately 5% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and nearly 13% of salaried employment. Between 2019 and 2023, salaried employment growth within NPIs was more dynamic than in the rest of the economy. However, value added and investments grew more vigorously outside the non-profit sector.
Over the studied period, one in four job creations and one in five additional working hours were related to NPIs. The sectors of human health and social work concentrate the majority of NPI activity. In 2023, 931 entities in human health generated 11 billion euros in value added, while 4,256 entities in social work generated 10 billion euros.
The Brussels-Capital Region recorded a relatively sharp increase in the number of NPIs and associated employment. Meanwhile, value added growth was more pronounced in Flanders and Wallonia. The full report is available via an external link.
A satellite account, like the one for NPIs, is a set of statistical tables consistent with the central framework of national accounts, used to highlight a specific economic reality. The NPI population includes private entities in the form of non-profit associations (ASBL) or other non-profit legal forms, such as local football clubs, museums, hospitals, and environmental associations, as well as de facto associations employing staff. Public sector associations are excluded.
This updated edition includes results for the years 2019 and 2023, providing a portrait of the associative world before and after the pandemic. For the first time, it also publishes data on the regional distribution of value added and wages paid, broken down by activity branch.
