Staff of Flemish public administration

At the end of 2024, 27,972 people worked in the services of the Flemish public administration (open definition) . The number of staff rose from 2006 until 2009 and subsequently declined until 2014. Between 2014 and 2019, around 1,500 new staff members were recruited. This increase was a consequence of the sixth state reform and the internal administration reform, whereby Flanders acquired new competences and staff members were transferred from the federal and provincial level. From 2019 to 2022, the number remained about stable, before increasing to 29,491 in 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, the headcount decreased by 1,519.

Not all staff members work full-time, which is shown in staff availability (open definition) expressed in full-time equivalents (FTE). At the end of 2024, staff availability was 25,660 FTE. The availability has been fluctuating around 25,000 FTE between 2008 and 2012. In 2013, availability fell to 24,500 FTE, to rise again from 2014. The number of FTE decreased by 871 between 2023 and 2024.

In 2024 59% of the staff members of the services of the Flemish public administration were women.

More than half of the staff members was older than 45 years, 27% was between 35 and 44 years and 19% was 34 years or younger.

Just over 7 in 10 staff members were employed at the higher function levels A or B. A similar proportion were statutory staff members.

The new policy domain ‘Work, Economy, Science, Innovation, Agriculture and Social Economy’, created by merging 3 policy domains in 2024, is the largest policy domain within the Flemish public administration, with more than 6,000 FTE. This is followed by 3 policy domains, ‘Mobility and Public Works’, ‘Welfare, Public Health and Family’ and ‘Environment and Spatial Development’ with around 4,000 FTE each. As the 5^th largest policy area, Chancellery, Public Governance, Foreign Affairs and Justice employs just over 3,500 FTEs.

With 883 FTE, ‘Education and Training’ is the smallest policy domain. Besides the staff of the 10 policy areas of the Flemish administration, about 147 FTEs work for the ‘GO! Education of the Flemish Community’.