Facts & Figures

Key figures

This report in a nutshell

This report shows further progress in almost all indicators. And this is based on official data. The decoupling has clearly taken place: economic growth and job creation have gone hand in hand with environmental and climate improvements for years.

Jobs

Key provider of quality employment

95,500
direct jobs
220,000
indirect jobs
+6,500
jobs in last 5 years
20%of manufacturingindustry
Training

Investing in people, investing in the future

58,900
people participate in formal continuous training
64% of all employees
in the chemical and life sciences industry
  • Agreement by social partners in the sector
  • Investing in competence centers with the social partners
Safety

Good places to work, safe and well remunerated

Only 2%
of the total number of declared occupational illnesses in Belgium
+ 18%
gross salaries compared to other manufacturing sectors
Nearly half
the accident rate recorded for the manufacturing industry
Diversity

Diversity high on the agenda

28.7%

of the total workforce in the chemical and life sciences industry (average of manufacturing industry is 23.1%)

27,423 women
23,2%

Women account for 23,2%  of all researchers in the sector
The social partners in the sector are committed to increase diversity and inclusion at work

Energy & Climate

Increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions

+ 62%
energy efficiency compared to 1995
- 50%
greenhouse gas emissions since 1995
Energy mix
35% natural gas5% steam60% electricity
Acidifying & Organic emissions

Drastically reducing acidifying and organic emissions

Acidifying emissions
SO2 – NOx – NH3
- 59%
since 2001
(only 3% of the Belgian total)
Organic emissions
- 45%
since 2001
(only 8% of the Belgian total)
Industrial waste & packaging

Going circular

4%
0%
Only 4% of Belgian industrial waste
Almost 70% of all waste generated by the sector is being recovered
0%
Only 4% of Belgian industrial packaging waste
52% of packaging is reusable
Water use

Every drop counts in the chemical and life sciences industry

Only 6%
of the total water used by the sector is drinking water
89% Surface water6% Drinking water2% Ground water3% Other
-25%
The use of drinking water has been reduced with a quarter since 2011
Export

Number 1 export sector in Belgium

36%
of all Belgian export​
+25% since 2010

Number 3 in Europe for export
of chemistry & life sciences
40% of export outside EU

Innovation

Largest private investor in R&D

5.6 billion € in R&D expenses

Doubled in the last decade
Number 1 in Belgium: 2/3 of all industrial R&D expenses in Belgium

946 patent applications for chemistry & life sciences, a record high
40% of all Belgian patent applications
Highest share in the world for chemistry and life sciences in the number of patent applications
Taxes

A large contributor to the state budget

More than 5 billions € on taxes
The chemicals and life sciences industry contributes
56,000 € per employee to the state budget
(industrial average is 35,000 €)
Added value

A stronghold of the Belgian economy

20.8 billion € added value
36% of manufacturing industry in Belgium Well above the European average of 16%
Top 10
global companies

in the chemical and life sciences industry are located in Belgium

World ranking in sales
per inhabitant

Belgium is
number 1
in the world for chemicals,
number 4
for pharmaceuticals,
number 7
for plastics industry