Belgium’s entrepreneurial boom continued unabated in 2025, with 132,199 new businesses registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO) – the highest figure in a decade.
This is reported by Xerius. Their analysis is based on KBO data and its own startup figures.
The growth was particularly striking in Wallonia, where registrations surged by 42 percent in Q4 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, following the abolition of the business management certificate (attest bedrijfsbeheer) on October 1, 2025.
This requirement had already been scrapped in Flanders (2018) and Brussels (2024), but its removal in Wallonia provided a significant boost to local entrepreneurship.
While Flanders still leads in absolute numbers, Wallonia’s relative growth was the standout trend of 2025, noted Youssef Deconinck, Spokesperson for Xerius. The year started slowly, with Q1 registrations lagging behind 2024 – except in Wallonia – but momentum built steadily, culminating in a record 37,170 new businesses in Q4.
Brussels saw an 8 percent increase, while Flanders grew by 4 percent. The trend reflects Belgium’s thriving startup culture, with nearly 1.3 million selfstandigen (self-employed professionals) now active nationwide, a figure that has consistently topped 120,000 new starters annually since 2021.
The most popular professions for new entrepreneurs remained stable, with consultants, instructors, and building renovation specialists topping the list for years. However, 2025 saw emerging trends: lawyers, freight transporters, and residential electricians entered the national top ten, while traditional retail roles (e.g., salespeople) and café owners declined in popularity.
"Consultants and instructors remain perennially popular, both as primary and side professions", said Deconinck. The shift highlights evolving demand, with knelpuntberoepen (bottleneck professions) – such as software developers, physiotherapists, and nurses –continuing to attract new entrepreneurs.
