Europe is at a turning point, navigating the combined impact of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and rising costs. While foreign direct investment declined in 2025, the continent continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by its strong fundamentals, including market size, infrastructure and innovation capabilities.
Against this backdrop, Belgium continues to play an important role as a foreign investment destination. While the number of investment projects declined, the country maintained its position among Europe’s leading FDI destinations. At the same time, job creation rebounded, driven by a limited number of larger-scale investments, highlighting both the underlying strength of the economy and the evolving nature of investment trends.
This report brings together the latest foreign investment data and the perspectives of international business leaders to provide a comprehensive view of Belgium’s attractiveness. It offers insights into both the performance of Belgium in a challenging European environment and the factors shaping future investment decisions.
While investors remain cautious in the short term, long-term confidence in Belgium continues to hold up well. The findings also underline the importance of addressing key structural challenges, including cost competitiveness, access to skills and the broader business environment, while building on Belgium’s established strengths in infrastructure, talent and innovation.
We hope the insights from this edition of the EY Attractiveness Survey Belgium contribute to a constructive dialogue between policymakers and business leaders, and help shape the country’s future with confidence.
