Belgium flag Belgium: Buying and Selling

Advertising and marketing in Belgium

Marketing opportunities

Consumer Profile
The median age in Belgium is 42.3 years. The population grew at a rate of 0.3% in 2021 (Data Reportal). Some 14.6% of the population is under 13 years old, 52.3% is between 14 and 64 years old, and 19.9% is 65 years old or older. On average, households are made up of 2.3 people with 32.2% of households are made up of one person and 47.1% are couples with or without children (Eurostat, 2020). The gender ratio is 99.2 men for every 100 women with 98.2% of the population living in urban areas, which makes the country one of the densest in the world (Data Reportal, 2022). Most of the population is concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country, the south being less populated. The main cities are Brussels and Antwerp. The level of education is among the highest in OECD countries with 80% of adults have a secondary education and 42.4% have higher education (OECD, 2020). Some 27.1% of the active population are working as professionals, 14.4% are technicians, 12.9% are service and sales workers, 12.6% are clerical support workers, 8.9% are craft workers, 8.1% are managers, 8.7% have elementary occupations, 5.9% are plant and machine operators and 0.9% are agricultural workers (Eurostat, 2020).
Purchasing Power
GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated at USD 45,205 per year in 2020 (World Bank). The average yearly salary of full-time workers is USD 54,327 (OECD). The adjusted annual disposable income is about USD 34,884 according to the OECD. Private consumption is estimated to account for 50% of GDP in 2020 (World Bank). The Gini index on income inequality is among the lowest in Europe and falling. The pay gap between men and women is 5.3%, with Belgium having one of the lowest gaps in the European Union (Statbel, 2020). The directors of large companies have the highest salaries while servers and barmen have the lowest. People over 60 still in office earn more than 110% more than the working population under 20. The highest salaries are in Brussels and the surrounding area, and holders of a master's degree have a salary more than 50% higher than the national average.
Consumer Behaviour
Belgium is a consumer society. Since the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers have given increasing importance to product prices. With the return of growth and stability quality products are increasingly in demand. Purchases are more often made in city centres than in shopping centres. In addition, many Belgians go to border countries to do their shopping. Consumers are moving away from supermarkets but their average basket is growing. On average per year a consumer spends EUR 2,268 of food shopping (Statbel, 2020). Consumer confidence is falling because of unemployment and inflation. About 3/4 of consumers buy on the internet with sales amounting to around EUR 11.7 billion in 2021 (Safeshops). Belgian consumers are generally open to international brands but may prefer national or European companies.

Brand loyalty depends mainly on positive experiences, quality and price. Also, consumers are more loyal to car and cosmetics brands than to food brands. About 65% of Belgium's population is active on social networks and the number of social media users increased by 7.8% in 2021 (Data Reportal). The Belgian consumers tend to seek product information on the social media. However, 36.6% of internet users use advertising blockers (this figure rises to more than 50% among young people) (Blacklinko, 2022). Data protection is important but less than in the rest of the European Union, with three quarters of internet users accepting default cookie settings at least half of the time (Deloitte, 2021).

Environmental awareness is very present in Belgium. Organic products, sustainable, local, traceable, fresh, vegan, etc. are growing. The food scandals that have taken place in Europe and the growing interest in health are one of the reasons for the success of organic products. The second-hand market is developed, and more than 60% of exchanges are made between individuals. Collaborative platforms are widely developed in Belgium, especially in large cities, with companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Blablacar, Deliveroo, etc.
Consumers Associations
Test Achats
CEC Belgique
Consumer Mediation Service
Main Advertising Agencies
Expansion
Ogivy-Sociallab
RMB
OMD
Space
Publicis

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Latest Update: March 2024

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