Belgium Ocean Health Global Index Scores

Published 2026-10-16 · 24Peaks Research

Belgium Ocean Health Global Index Scores

Belgium's Ocean Health Index score reflects a strong performance for a heavily industrialized, densely populated coastal nation, generally placing it among the better-ranked countries in Western Europe. The Ocean Health Index (OHI) is a composite framework that scores ocean systems on ten public goals, from food provision to clean waters. As of the latest available year, Belgium's overall score sits in the upper range of the global scale, supported by robust governance, strong tourism and recreation values, and effective marine protected area coverage. For the most recent figures, 24Peaks hosts the latest OHI series for Belgium and its peers.

What the Ocean Health Global Index Measures

The Ocean Health Index is an assessment framework developed by an international consortium of research institutions, with methodology published in peer-reviewed scientific literature. It evaluates how well ocean systems deliver benefits to people, both now and in the future.

The index scores ten goals, each on a 0 to 100 scale:

• Food provision: sustainable catch and mariculture output
• Artisanal fishing opportunities: access for small-scale fishers
• Natural products: sustainable harvest of non-food ocean resources
• Carbon storage: coastal habitats that sequester carbon
• Coastal protection: habitats such as dunes, reefs, and wetlands that buffer coastlines
• Livelihoods and economies: ocean-dependent jobs and revenue
• Tourism and recreation: coastal tourism value
• Sense of place: cultural and iconic marine values
• Clean waters: absence of pollution, excess nutrients, and pathogens
• Biodiversity: conservation status of marine species and habitats

Each goal is scored against a reference point, and the ten scores are combined into a single index value. Scores run from 0 to 100, where higher values indicate healthier, more sustainable ocean benefits. Belgium, like other countries, receives an overall score plus individual goal scores.

Why Belgium's Ocean Health Score Matters to Investors

Belgium has only about 65 kilometers of coastline, but the Belgian part of the North Sea is economically significant. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is one of Europe's largest, and offshore wind in Belgian waters is among the most developed per capita in the world.

For investors, the Ocean Health Index is a compact proxy for environmental and regulatory conditions that affect ocean-linked sectors:

• Offshore wind and marine energy: strong clean waters and biodiversity scores often correlate with stable permitting and lower environmental litigation risk.
• Fisheries and aquaculture: food provision scores signal stock sustainability and the reliability of long-term catch quotas.
• Shipping and ports: clean waters and coastal protection scores reflect pollution controls and infrastructure resilience.
• Tourism and real estate: tourism and recreation and sense of place scores track the amenity value of the coast.

A stable, high OHI score is not a guarantee of returns, but it is a useful input when comparing environmental risk across European coastal economies. It also matters for compliance: EU marine directives and national North Sea plans increasingly reference indicators of this type.

Recent Trends in Belgium and Regional Context

Belgium's OHI profile has been broadly stable, with the strongest scores typically in tourism and recreation, sense of place, coastal protection, and livelihoods and economies. These reflect a wealthy economy, well-managed beaches and dunes, and a dense coastal tourism sector.

Weaker or more volatile components usually include food provision, where North Sea fish stocks face pressure, and biodiversity, where historical overfishing and habitat modification weigh on conservation status. Clean waters have generally improved over recent decades as wastewater treatment and shipping pollution controls tightened, though nutrient runoff from agriculture remains a regional issue shared with the Netherlands and France.

Across Western Europe, the pattern is similar: high scores for tourism, livelihoods, and coastal protection, with more variable results for biodiversity and food provision. The North Sea is one of the most intensively used marine regions in the world, so maintaining high scores requires active management. In the latest available data, Belgium generally ranks above the global average and in line with or slightly above nearby North Sea neighbors, though exact rankings shift year to year.

Comparison with Other Countries

The table below compares Belgium with three illustrative peers. Values are approximate or refer to the latest available year; see 24Peaks for the current series.

Belgium and the Netherlands often score similarly because they share the same marine ecosystem and comparable governance frameworks. France's global score blends very different regions, from the North Sea to the Pacific, which makes it less directly comparable to Belgium alone.

Limitations of the Index

The Ocean Health Index is a useful summary, but it has important limitations:

• Composite scoring can mask weak goals. A high overall score can coexist with poor biodiversity or food provision results.
• Data lags. Many components rely on national reporting that is published with a delay, so recent-year scores may be revised.
• Reference points are normative. What counts as a "perfect" score involves judgment, not just measurement.
• Scale mismatch. National scores may not reflect conditions in a specific bay, port, or fishing ground.
• Limited coverage of some pressures. Emerging issues such as deep-sea mining or novel pollutants may not be fully captured.

For these reasons, investors should treat the index as one input among many, and combine it with direct sector data on fisheries, shipping, and energy.

FAQ

What is Belgium's Ocean Health Index score?

Belgium's overall OHI score sits in the upper range of the global scale, roughly in the low 70s as of the latest available year. Exact values are updated periodically, and 24Peaks hosts the latest series.

Who publishes the Ocean Health Index?

The index is produced by an international research consortium and published in peer-reviewed scientific literature, with periodic updates. It is not an official IMF, World Bank, or UN statistical series, though it is widely cited alongside such data.

How does Belgium compare with the Netherlands?

Belgium and the Netherlands usually score similarly, since they share the North Sea and comparable environmental governance. Both show strong coastal protection and tourism scores with weaker food provision and biodiversity results.

Why is Belgium's biodiversity score relatively weak?

The southern North Sea has a long history of heavy fishing, shipping, and coastal development, which has altered habitats and species abundance. Conservation measures have expanded, but recovery is gradual.

Can investors use the Ocean Health Index directly?

The index is best used as a context indicator rather than a trading signal. It helps frame environmental and regulatory risk for sectors such as offshore wind, fisheries, shipping, and coastal tourism.

Compare Belgium's Ocean Health Global Index Scores against peer countries on the 24Peaks workbench.