Belgium Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in belgium, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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Belgium continues to experience steady e-commerce growth. In 2024, Belgian consumers spent €17.4 billion online, a 6.7 percent increase compared to 2023, according to BeCommerce and eCommerce News Europe. The number of online shops in Belgium also reached a record 63,867, up from about 54,000 in 2022.

Flanders dominates the market, hosting approximately 72 percent of all Belgian online stores, followed by Wallonia (19 percent) and Brussels (9 percent). Retail remains the largest sector represented online, though hospitality and services segments have shown the strongest growth.

Cross-border e-commerce is a key driver of the market. Belgium accounts for about €5.5 billion in cross-border sales—roughly 35 percent of its total e-commerce volume—according to Cross-Border Commerce Europe. Belgian consumers are among the most active in Europe when buying from foreign sites, particularly from the Netherlands, France, Germany, and China.

The strongest online spending categories are travel and services—particularly airline tickets, accommodation bookings, package holidays, and event tickets—followed by electronics, fashion, and home goods. The growth in travel and hospitality sales reflects the continued post-pandemic recovery of Belgium’s services sector.

Legal and Regulatory Environment

E-commerce in Belgium is regulated under standard commercial law and EU legislation; there is no stand-alone national regulator for online commerce. Businesses operating online must comply with the EU Digital Single Market Strategy, the Electronic Commerce Directive, the Consumer Rights Directive, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Consumer Behavior

As of early 2025, approximately 96 percent of Belgians use the internet. According to a 2024 household survey, around 95% of Belgian households had an internet connection. Among those with internet access, a very high proportion make online purchases (precise figures vary by source). In payment methods for online purchases, Belgian consumers continue to rely heavily on debit-card methods (such as Bancontact), while credit cards remain significant. A 2022 survey indicated Bancontact as the preferred payment method in nearly 30% of responses, with credit cards around 18%. The online payments environment is also evolving, with growing use of mobile wallets, Google Pay/Apple Pay and other new payment options. Mobile devices account for over half of e-commerce transactions, though detailed breakdowns by device and transaction size are not uniformly available. Belgium’s online-shopping market demands localisation — multi-lingual service (Dutch/French) and adaptation to local consumer payment preferences are key to successfully entering the market.

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