Belgium GDP Growth Slows to 0.54%

Belgium's real GDP growth fell to 0.54% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, from 0.76% in the previous quarter. This marks the third consecutive quarterly decline, extending a falling streak, according to the International Monetary Fund. The latest reading remains well below the series' all-time high of 14.51% recorded in the second quarter of 2021, and is the lowest since the first quarter of 2021. Compared with a year earlier, growth slowed from 1.01% in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting a continued deceleration in economic activity. The series, which began in the first quarter of 1996, has seen its recent trajectory soften from the 1.03% recorded in the third quarter of 2025, according to the IMF.}```json {