Population
11,492,641 (2020)
Official language
Dutch 60%, French 40%, German (less than 1%). Wallonia is the French-speaking region of southern Belgium. Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium.
Currency
Euro (€)
Capital
Brussels
Time Zone
UTC+1 (CET); Summer UTC+2 (CEST)
Dialling Code
+32
Area (sq. miles)
11,849
GDP
$575,808 billion
- Ministry of Culture
- Department of Education and Training (for Flemish community)
- Education Portal in Wallonia-Brussels Federation (for French community)
- Educational Portal of the German-speaking Community of Belgium (Ostbelgien)
6% for books and 21% on eBooks
Yes
- Association of Belgian Publishers (Association des Éditeurs Belges or ADEB)
- Boek.be promotes the Flemish book trade.
- Espace livres et creation (EL&C)
- Educational and Scientific Publishers Group (GEWU)
- General Publishers Group (GAU)
- Syndicate of French Booksellers of Belgium (SLFB)
- Flemish Publishers Association (Vereniging Vlaamse Boekverkopers)
- United Importers Books (VBI)
- Flemish Booksellers Association
- Summary of figures for the year 2017 (ADEB, 2018, in French)
- Figures on the Flemish book market (GFK, 2015)
- Book Market Statistics August (PA, 2017) [link to download/view]
- Belgium FR’s report to the Federation of European Publishers Assembly November (2017) [link to download/view]
- Belgium FL’s report to the Federation of European Publishers Assembly (June 2017) [link to download/view]
- Belgium FR’s report to the Federation of European Publishers Assembly (June 2017) [link to download/view]
Brussels Book Fair is held over 4 days in February.
Passa Porta Festival is a literary festival held over 4 days in March in Brussels.
Antwerp Book Fair is held over 6 days in October/November.
- Department for Literary Promotion (Promotion des Lettres) supports the translation of literary works written by French speaking Belgian authors from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
- Flanders Literature supports foreign publishers with translation grants in order to publish titles written by Flemish authors or illustrated by Flemish artists.
- Flemish Literature Fund (FLF) runs several literary grants.
Useful Contacts
Email: exams@britishcouncil.be
Email: ditbelgium@mobile.trade.gov.uk
Gert Wauters, Senior Trade Adviser, Belgium
Email: gert.wauters@fco.gov.uk
Tel: +32 (0)2 287 62 24
Mathieu Vanoverberghe, Senior Trade Adviser, Belgium
Email: Mathieu.Vanoverberghe@fco.gov.uk
Tel: +32 (0)2 287 6268
Directory of Belgian Booksellers (Department for Literary Promotion)
Directory of French Booksellers (SLFB)