Belgium - Imports of goods and services (constant 2010 US$)

The latest value for Imports of goods and services (constant 2010 US$) in Belgium was 387,003,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 50 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between 411,462,000,000 in 2019 and 57,493,510,000 in 1970.

Definition: Imports of goods and services represent the value of all goods and other market services received from the rest of the world. They include the value of merchandise, freight, insurance, transport, travel, royalties, license fees, and other services, such as communication, construction, financial, information, business, personal, and government services. They exclude compensation of employees and investment income (formerly called factor services) and transfer payments. Data are in constant 2010 U.S. dollars.

Source: World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.

See also:

Year Value
1970 57,493,510,000
1971 59,588,890,000
1972 65,291,000,000
1973 77,426,320,000
1974 80,845,800,000
1975 73,503,060,000
1976 82,606,800,000
1977 86,547,910,000
1978 88,857,270,000
1979 96,815,240,000
1980 94,955,420,000
1981 93,117,840,000
1982 94,379,350,000
1983 93,216,370,000
1984 99,175,250,000
1985 99,579,150,000
1986 104,149,000,000
1987 111,182,000,000
1988 122,767,000,000
1989 134,668,000,000
1990 141,224,000,000
1991 145,262,000,000
1992 151,243,000,000
1993 150,697,000,000
1994 161,668,000,000
1995 169,189,000,000
1996 178,585,000,000
1997 193,234,000,000
1998 203,008,000,000
1999 209,856,000,000
2000 237,169,000,000
2001 235,378,000,000
2002 237,863,000,000
2003 241,335,000,000
2004 256,555,000,000
2005 273,043,000,000
2006 287,082,000,000
2007 303,099,000,000
2008 314,632,000,000
2009 280,467,000,000
2010 307,638,000,000
2011 324,943,000,000
2012 322,750,000,000
2013 322,060,000,000
2014 339,864,000,000
2015 353,165,000,000
2016 379,482,000,000
2017 399,288,000,000
2018 404,787,000,000
2019 411,462,000,000
2020 387,003,000,000

Development Relevance: An economy's growth is measured by the change in the volume of its output or in the real incomes of its residents. The 2008 United Nations System of National Accounts (2008 SNA) offers three plausible indicators for calculating growth: the volume of gross domestic product (GDP), real gross domestic income, and real gross national income. The volume of GDP is the sum of value added, measured at constant prices, by households, government, and industries operating in the economy. GDP accounts for all domestic production, regardless of whether the income accrues to domestic or foreign institutions.

Limitations and Exceptions: Because policymakers have tended to focus on fostering the growth of output, and because data on production are easier to collect than data on spending, many countries generate their primary estimate of GDP using the production approach. Moreover, many countries do not estimate all the components of national expenditures but instead derive some of the main aggregates indirectly using GDP (based on the production approach) as the control total. Data on exports and imports are compiled from customs reports and balance of payments data. Although the data from the payments side provide reasonably reliable records of cross-border transactions, they may not adhere strictly to the appropriate definitions of valuation and timing used in the balance of payments or corresponds to the change-of ownership criterion. This issue has assumed greater significance with the increasing globalization of international business. Neither customs nor balance of payments data usually capture the illegal transactions that occur in many countries. Goods carried by travelers across borders in legal but unreported shuttle trade may further distort trade statistics.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Gross domestic product (GDP) from the expenditure side is made up of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, gross capital formation (private and public investment in fixed assets, changes in inventories, and net acquisitions of valuables), and net exports (exports minus imports) of goods and services. Such expenditures are recorded in purchaser prices and include net taxes on products.

Aggregation method: Gap-filled total

Base Period: 2010

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Economic Policy & Debt Indicators

Sub-Topic: National accounts