Belgium Hits Record 9,155 Student-Entrepreneurs as Youth Embrace Self-Employment

Belgium has reached a record number of student-entrepreneurs, with 9,155 young people now combining their studies with independent professional activity, according to a new analysis by the Flemish employers’ organization UNIZO. The figure represents a 5% increase between 2024 and 2025, based on data from the National Institute for the Social Security of the Self-Employed (Inasti/RSVZ), and surpasses the previous record of 9,114 set in 2021.

A Growing Trend Since 2017

The student-entrepreneur status, introduced on January 1, 2017, allows students aged 18 to 25 enrolled for at least 27 ECTS credits to run a business while maintaining access to social security benefits and family allowances. Since its introduction, the number of student-entrepreneurs has grown by 83%, according to the RTBF.

For many young people, the appeal lies in the flexibility that self-employment offers. Aurélie, a 22-year-old psychology student in Liège who runs a sneaker customization business, told RTBF that the status gave her a form of freedom she had not found in traditional student jobs. “With painting, I found a form of freedom that I didn’t have before,” she said. “I can work both in Liège and at my parents’ home, which allows me to be much more flexible and autonomous in my organization.”

Valentin, a 23-year-old interior architecture student from Malmedy who runs a mobile car cleaning business, echoed this sentiment. “What mainly attracted me to this status is the freedom it offers,” he said. “Being able to manage your time, organize your own schedule, and adapt your activity to your studies brings a flexibility that is sometimes harder to find when you work for someone else.”

The Gender Gap Persists

Despite the overall growth, the data reveals a persistent gender imbalance. Two-thirds of student-entrepreneurs are men, and since 2017, the number of male student-entrepreneurs has more than doubled (+104%), while growth among women was only 53%. Women represented 40.7% of student-entrepreneurs in 2021 but fell to 34.4% by 2025, as reported by La Libre Belgique.

The number of female student-entrepreneurs did grow by 2.5% last year, the first increase since 2021, but male growth was stronger at +6.4%. Minister of Middle Classes, Independents and SMEs Eléonore Simonet called the gap a priority. “Motivating young women to take the step of starting a business remains an absolute priority,” she said in the UNIZO press release.

UNIZO’s research director Frank Socquet noted that women often face additional barriers. “We know that talent and ambition are there, but young women still more often hit obstacles to taking the step toward entrepreneurship or sticking with it,” he said. “Women often take a more cautious approach, wait longer to go public with an idea, or consider entrepreneurship only after their studies.”

Regional and Sectoral Distribution

Three-quarters of student-entrepreneurs live in Flanders, while Wallonia accounts for 17% and Brussels for 8%. However, Brussels showed the strongest growth in 2025 (+22%), followed by Wallonia (+18%), while Flanders remained relatively stable (+1%), according to VRT NWS.

Liberal professions are the most popular sector, accounting for 38.7% of student-entrepreneurs, followed by commerce (30.5%) and industry (15%). Services is the only sector where female student-entrepreneurs are in the majority, with nearly six out of ten.

A Springboard to Sustainable Entrepreneurship

The student-entrepreneur status appears to be an effective pathway to long-term self-employment. Nearly half of students who start as independent entrepreneurs are still active as self-employed five years later, and 11% of all self-employed people in Belgium are under 30.

Renaud Francart, a policy officer at UCM (Union des Classes Moyennes), told RTBF that the status has helped demystify what it means to become self-employed. “Behind this number, there are above all young people who are experimenting,” he said. “Some are genuinely launching a new business project, others are simply starting to test independent activity.”

What’s Next

A recent federal government decision will allow students to continue as student-entrepreneurs after turning 25 starting in 2026, removing an arbitrary age limit that affected students in longer programs such as medicine. UNIZO is also advocating for a full seventh year of entrepreneurship education and further simplification of the status, while Minister Simonet has announced plans for a national roadshow focused on financing for female entrepreneurs and a communication campaign featuring successful female entrepreneurs.

As the gig economy continues to reshape how young people approach work, Belgium’s student-entrepreneur status appears to be filling a growing need. The question now is whether the country can close the gender gap and encourage even more young people to take the entrepreneurial leap.