Prostitution in Belgium

Rue d'Aerschot, one of the red-light districts in Brussels (pictured in 2008).

Prostitution in Belgium is legal and was decriminalized on 1 June 2022.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] Human trafficking or exploiting individuals involved in prostitution is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.^[5]

Some cities in Belgium have a red-light district, often with window prostitution.^[6] In 2015, it was estimated that there were 26,000 prostitutes in Belgium,^[7] many of them are from Bulgaria.^[8]

A report commissioned by the National Bank of Belgium,^[9] revealed estimations of a turnover tax of €840 million from forms of prostitution in 2015.^[10] The most important segments of the market seem to be escort and private prostitution, rather than the more visible forms of window or street prostitution.

^ Stroobants, Jean-Pierre (2 June 2022). "Belgium decriminalizes sex work". Le Monde. Brussels. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
^ "LOI - WET". www.ejustice.just.fgov.be. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ Redactieteam-elfri.be. "Decriminalisering prostitutie". www.elfri.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ Times, The Brussels. "'Historic': Belgium first in Europe to decriminalise sex work". www.brusselstimes.com. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
^ "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010". U.S. Department of State. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
^ Cite error: The named reference exeter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Johansson, Sarah (15 May 2015). "Prostitution on the rise in Belgium". Brussels Times. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
^ Petrunov, Georgi (2009). Sex trafficking and money laundering: the case of Bulgaria (PDF). Risk Monitor. p. 16.
^ National Bank of Belgium. "A new measure of the economic importance of prostitution in Belgium" (PDF). Retrieved 3 December 2015.
^ Adriaenssens, Stef; Hendrickx, Jef; Machiels, Thomas; Heylen, Wim (2015). "A direct measure of output in prostitution in Belgium". doi:10.13140/rg.2.1.4868.6807.

[Le_Monde-1] Stroobants, Jean-Pierre (2 June 2022). "Belgium decriminalizes sex work". Le Monde. Brussels. Retrieved 25 June 2022.

[2] "LOI - WET". www.ejustice.just.fgov.be. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[3] Redactieteam-elfri.be. "Decriminalisering prostitutie". www.elfri.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[4] Times, The Brussels. "'Historic': Belgium first in Europe to decriminalise sex work". www.brusselstimes.com. Retrieved 22 June 2022.

[dos-5] "Trafficking in Persons Report 2010". U.S. Department of State. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2017.

[exeter-6] Cite error: The named reference exeter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[brustimes-7] Johansson, Sarah (15 May 2015). "Prostitution on the rise in Belgium". Brussels Times. Retrieved 11 November 2017.

[8] Petrunov, Georgi (2009). Sex trafficking and money laundering: the case of Bulgaria (PDF). Risk Monitor. p. 16.

[9] National Bank of Belgium. "A new measure of the economic importance of prostitution in Belgium" (PDF). Retrieved 3 December 2015.

[10] Adriaenssens, Stef; Hendrickx, Jef; Machiels, Thomas; Heylen, Wim (2015). "A direct measure of output in prostitution in Belgium". doi:10.13140/rg.2.1.4868.6807.

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