Belgium: Economic globalization

The latest value from 2021 is 89 points, unchanged from 89 points in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 58.31 points, based on data from 184 countries. Historically, the average for Belgium from 1970 to 2021 is 81.76 points. The minimum value, 68.9 points, was reached in 1970 while the maximum of 89 points was recorded in 2020. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The KOF Economic Globalization Index for Belgium and other countries has two dimensions. First, it measures the economic flows between Belgium and the rest of the world in terms of international trade and international investment. The question is whether Belgium exchanges a lot of goods, services, and investments with other countries. Second, it measures the restrictions to trade and investment such as tariffs and capital controls on international investment. Each dimension is based on several variables that are combined in one overall index that ranges from 0 to 100.

Definition: Economic globalization has two dimensions: actual economic flows and restrictions to trade and capital. The sub-index on actual economic flows includes data on trade, FDI, and portfolio investment. The sub-index on restrictions takes into account hidden import barriers, mean tariff rates, taxes on international trade (as a share of current revenue), and an index of capital controls. More information and the original data can be obtained here.