Belgium has a record number of 1.3 million self -employed people: « But the proportion of women must be raised »
Minister of the middle class, self -employed and SMEs Eléonore Simonet (MR).
The number of self -employed people in Belgium has increased again in 2024, but that is no reason for Minister of the Netherlands, the self -employed and SMEs Eléonore Simonet (MR) to rest on her laurels. « Only 36 percent of the self -employed are women. That must be up, » she says on Wednesday in time and L’Echo.
According to figures from the National Institute for the Social Insurance of the Self -Employed (RSVZ), the number of self -employed persons last year rose to just under 1.3 million, 1,299,825 to be exactly. That is an increase of 1.6 percent compared to 2023 – more than population growth – and a new record. More than 100,000 self -employed people were added for the past four years. In 20 years there is even a growth with 440,000 self -employed people, or 51 percent.
Last year the number of retired self-employed people in particular became larger, but also in other categories, such as self-employed people in the main and secondary occupation and student self-employed people, there was an increase.
Many secondary professionals
More and more Belgians seem to be attracted by the freedom and flexibility of working independently, often in combination with a different status. In 2024, for example, there was again a stronger growth of self-employed people in addition to the main occupation.
« The figures generally show a rather healthy business climate in Belgium, » says Simonet. Self -employed people and SMEs (1,167 million) are, according to her, the ‘backbone’ of the Belgian economy, with 99.4 percent of employers in the private sector.
One of the minister’s priorities is entrepreneurship by women. « But 36 percent of the self -employed in 2024 are women. That figure is still too low in these times. I think Belgium can and should become a model for equal opportunities in entrepreneurship. »
