Agricultural production in Belgium
According to FAOSTAT, Belgium produced 1.9 million t of cereals, 2.2 million t of vegetables, 498,618 t of fruit, 1.7 million t of meat and 4.7 million t of milk in 2024. Its largest crops by volume were sugar beet (4.4 million t), potatoes (4.0 million t) and wheat (1.1 million t).
- Products recorded
- 80
- World #1
- 0
- products
- World top 10
- 13
- products
- Year
- 2024
Belgium ranks second or third in the world for oil of linseed and flax, raw or retted.
Among its twelve largest crops, the biggest ten-year change was in lettuce and chicory (+852%), followed by dry onions (+127%).
Livestock numbers: 2.2 million cattle and 5.4 million pigs.
Totals by group
| Group | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All milk | 4,654,260 | 30 | 0.47% | +26% |
| All sugar crops | 4,411,990 | 43 | 0.2% | −7.9% |
| All roots and tubers | 3,977,850 | 40 | 0.42% | −9.2% |
| All vegetables | 2,209,610 | 53 | 0.19% | +5.7% |
| All cereals | 1,932,850 | 91 | 0.06% | −39% |
| All meat | 1,735,124 | 32 | 0.46% | −4.4% |
| All fruit | 498,618 | 109 | 0.05% | −33% |
| All pulses | 41,000 | 97 | 0.04% | +601% |
All products by volume, 2024
| Product | Tonnes | World rank | Share | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cow milk | 4,597,000 | 30 | 0.58% | +25% |
| Sugar beet | 4,411,990 | 15 | 1.5% | −7.9% |
| Potatoes | 3,977,850 | 20 | 1.02% | −9.2% |
| Skim milk of cows | 2,914,507 | 16 | 2.04% | +14% |
| Beer | 2,300,000 | 14 | 1.24% | +27% |
| Wheat | 1,090,040 | 51 | 0.14% | −45% |
| Pork (pig meat) | 945,240 | 19 | 0.75% | −16% |
| Raw sugar | 839,524 | 27 | 0.45% | −1.1% |
| Rapeseed or canola oil, crude | 664,800 | 11 | 2.12% | +18% |
| Chicken meat | 531,510 | 43 | 0.41% | +25% |
| Lettuce and chicory | 501,790 | 10 | 1.78% | +852% |
| Maize | 501,790 | 78 | 0.04% | −24% |
| Margarine and shortening | 336,802 | 9 | 2.56% | −9.7% |
| Carrots and turnips | 323,550 | 26 | 0.72% | −1.4% |
| Barley | 300,910 | 46 | 0.21% | −25% |
| Tomatoes | 283,860 | 59 | 0.15% | +14% |
| Cream, fresh | 274,690 | 4 | 7.39% | +37% |
| Pears | 268,770 | 9 | 0.97% | −28% |
| Beef (cattle meat) | 249,440 | 44 | 0.36% | −3.2% |
| Onions, dry | 232,580 | 54 | 0.21% | +127% |
| Skim milk and whey powder | 181,930 | 6 | 3.86% | +72% |
| Apples | 160,380 | 47 | 0.16% | −50% |
| Leeks | 151,480 | 4 | 7.1% | −20% |
| Cauliflower and broccoli | 148,770 | 19 | 0.55% | +50% |
| Molasses | 130,789 | 44 | 0.18% | −12% |
| Cabbages | 126,900 | 45 | 0.17% | +19% |
| Oil of linseed | 125,100 | 2 | 16.02% | +16% |
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 123,080 | 26 | 0.54% | +62% |
| Butter of cow milk | 119,860 | 14 | 2% | +230% |
| Pig fat, rendered | 111,436 | 11 | 1.81% | −27% |
| Other beans, green | 101,940 | 13 | 0.39% | −9.5% |
| Spinach | 96,960 | 10 | 0.32% | −9.5% |
| Flax, raw or retted | 91,990 | 2 | 7.11% | +26% |
| Peas, green | 79,350 | 15 | 0.37% | +0.3% |
| Oil of maize | 64,600 | 10 | 2.1% | +4.7% |
| Pumpkins and squash | 58,270 | 54 | 0.17% | +652% |
| Whole milk, condensed | 57,270 | 11 | 2.92% | +88% |
| Goat milk | 57,000 | 43 | 0.28% | +371% |
| Yoghurt | 52,330 | 21 | 1.05% | −9.9% |
| Strawberries | 51,450 | 24 | 0.48% | +31% |
| Sunflower-seed oil, crude | 42,100 | 29 | 0.19% | +680% |
| Whole milk powder | 40,684 | 18 | 0.81% | −17% |
| Tallow | 36,800 | 19 | 0.45% | +0.2% |
| Rapeseed | 35,750 | 44 | 0.04% | −39% |
| Other pulses n.e.c. | 34,380 | 26 | 0.77% | — |
| Whole milk, evaporated | 33,448 | 13 | 1.16% | +14% |
| Chillies and peppers, green | 32,680 | 61 | 0.07% | +30% |
| Cucumbers | 29,740 | 71 | 0.03% | +69% |
| Mushrooms | 28,000 | 22 | 0.05% | −19% |
| Cheese from skimmed cow milk | 27,623 | 16 | 1.01% | +28% |
| Skim milk, condensed | 26,000 | 4 | 2.78% | +268% |
| Soya bean oil | 23,000 | 54 | 0.04% | — |
| Triticale | 20,020 | 36 | 0.16% | −61% |
| Wine | 15,999 | 39 | 0.07% | +452% |
| Oats | 14,080 | 48 | 0.06% | −35% |
| Eggplants | 10,860 | 56 | 0.02% | +41% |
| Cheese from milk of goats, fresh or processed | 10,130 | 10 | 2.22% | +198% |
| Groundnut oil | 5,589 | 42 | 0.09% | +34% |
| Cherries | 4,530 | 44 | 0.15% | −45% |
| Broad beans and horse beans, dry | 4,420 | 44 | 0.07% | +63% |
| Cereals n.e.c. | 3,160 | 43 | 0.04% | — |
| Asparagus | 2,880 | 21 | 0.03% | −20% |
| Rye | 2,850 | 46 | 0.02% | +58% |
| Safflower-seed oil, crude | 2,563 | 6 | 3.31% | — |
| Whey, dry | 2,472 | 35 | 0.07% | −29% |
| Peas, dry | 2,200 | 69 | 0.02% | −15% |
| Other berries and fruits of the genus vaccinium n.e.c. | 1,770 | 33 | 0.16% | +1,725% |
| Raspberries | 1,690 | 25 | 0.18% | +21% |
| Sheep meat | 1,590 | 109 | 0.01% | −35% |
| Currants | 610 | 20 | 0.09% | −24% |
| Oil of sesame seed | 590 | 45 | 0.05% | −28% |
| Blueberries | 580 | 25 | 0.04% | — |
| Goat meat | 430 | 112 | 0.01% | +244% |
| Tea, packed | 357 | 77 | 0% | — |
| Sheep milk | 260 | 74 | 0% | — |
| Cheese from milk of sheep, fresh or processed | 240 | 31 | 0.05% | — |
| Plums | 230 | 83 | 0% | +15% |
| Duck meat | 90 | 57 | 0% | −33% |
| Buttermilk, dry | 82 | 97 | 0.01% | — |
| Sour cherries | 50 | 36 | 0% | — |
Live animals, 2024
Belgium among the world’s producers, 2024
Share of world production by country for the largest crops of Belgium, which is outlined on the map.
Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Production per person, 2024
Belgium had 11.7 million inhabitants in 2024 (FAOSTAT estimate). Production of its largest products per inhabitant, compared with the world average:
| Product | kg per person | World, kg per person | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cow milk | 392 | 97.7 | 4.0× |
| Sugar beet | 376 | 36.0 | 10.4× |
| Potatoes | 339 | 47.8 | 7.1× |
| Skim milk of cows | 248 | 17.5 | 14.2× |
| Beer | 196 | 22.7 | 8.6× |
| Wheat | 92.9 | 97.8 | 0.9× |
| Pork (pig meat) | 80.5 | 15.4 | 5.2× |
| Raw sugar | 71.5 | 23.0 | 3.1× |
| Rapeseed or canola oil, crude | 56.6 | 3.85 | 14.7× |
| Chicken meat | 45.3 | 15.7 | 2.9× |
| Lettuce and chicory | 42.7 | 3.46 | 12.4× |
| Maize | 42.7 | 149 | 0.3× |
Production divided by population; it is not consumption, because crops are traded and used for feed, processing and industry.
Trade in agricultural products, 2024
Belgium reported exports of 194 and imports of 196 of the products covered here; it was the world’s largest exporter of oil of linseed; cheese from milk of sheep, fresh or processed; mixed grain.
Largest exports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer of barley, malted | 1,468,455 | USD 1.78 bn | 1.21 | 3 of 149 |
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 281,891 | USD 1.41 bn | 5.00 | 9 of 123 |
| Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled | 482,665 | USD 1.27 bn | 2.64 | 6 of 81 |
| Cocoa beans | 198,520 | USD 1.19 bn | 6.01 | 7 of 93 |
| Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled | 439,982 | USD 1.18 bn | 2.68 | 7 of 123 |
| Unmanufactured tobacco | 189,674 | USD 1.17 bn | 6.16 | 4 of 101 |
| Coffee, green | 185,074 | USD 912 m | 4.93 | 12 of 131 |
| Bananas | 910,212 | USD 804 m | 0.88 | 6 of 107 |
| Butter of cow milk | 106,827 | USD 760 m | 7.12 | 5 of 113 |
| Cream, fresh | 203,525 | USD 636 m | 3.13 | 3 of 69 |
Largest imports by value
| Product | Tonnes | Value | USD/kg | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese from whole cow milk | 380,618 | USD 2.06 bn | 5.41 | 7 of 192 |
| Cocoa beans | 327,127 | USD 2.05 bn | 6.27 | 4 of 108 |
| Rape or colza seed | 2,613,550 | USD 1.40 bn | 0.53 | 3 of 91 |
| Coffee, green | 282,154 | USD 1.31 bn | 4.65 | 6 of 177 |
| Potatoes | 4,076,221 | USD 1.28 bn | 0.31 | 1 of 183 |
| Wine | 446,853 | USD 1.25 bn | 2.80 | 6 of 192 |
| Unmanufactured tobacco | 204,464 | USD 1.19 bn | 5.81 | 1 of 139 |
| Sunflower-seed oil, crude | 819,491 | USD 1.14 bn | 1.39 | 7 of 186 |
| Wheat | 3,820,385 | USD 971 m | 0.25 | 20 of 176 |
| Bananas | 1,076,360 | USD 778 m | 0.72 | 6 of 139 |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data, release of 23 July 2026: quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported; exports include re-exports. Only the FAO trade items that match Husfarm production pages are included: meat covers fresh or chilled meat only (frozen meat is a separate item), and processed goods such as milled rice or flour are not listed.
Questions and answers
What are the main crops produced in Belgium?
By volume, the largest products of Belgium in 2024 were cow milk (4.6 million t), sugar beet (4.4 million t), potatoes (4.0 million t), according to FAOSTAT.
Is Belgium the world’s largest producer of anything?
Not in 2024. Its highest world rank was 2nd, for oil of linseed.
How much cow milk does Belgium produce per person?
About 392 kg per inhabitant in 2024, compared with a world average of 97.7 kg (production divided by population, FAOSTAT).
What does Belgium export most?
By value, its largest agricultural exports in 2024 among the products covered here were beer of barley, malted (USD 1.78 bn), cheese from whole cow milk (USD 1.41 bn), meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled (USD 1.27 bn), according to FAOSTAT.
What does Belgium import most?
By value, its largest agricultural imports in 2024 among the products covered here were cheese from whole cow milk (USD 2.06 bn), cocoa beans (USD 2.05 bn), rape or colza seed (USD 1.40 bn).
Where does this data come from?
Production, trade and population figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rankings, shares and per-person figures are calculated by Husfarm.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.