Abstract

This note is an update of the GRIP’s Report "Radiography of the arms industry in Belgium" published in 2007. It completes, until fiscal year 2008 included, the economic and financial data on Belgian firms that have a significant activity in arms production and military equipment. Most of these data are also available online on the website of GRIP (http://www.grip.org/fr/siteweb/dev.asp?N=simple&O=688). Based on a sample of 50 representative firms, one finds that the armaments sector remains an important player in the economic life in Belgium. In 2008, it generated a gross added value of 417 million Euros, about 0,12 % of the Belgian GDP, and some 13 900 jobs depended on it (direct, indirect and induced jobs combined).

Keywords : arms industry, Belgium, jobs, arms, exportations.