Germany vs. Belgium: Flag Comparison
Germany and Belgium both use black, red, and yellow/gold tricolors, but Germany's stripes are horizontal (Black–Red–Gold in 3:5) whereas Belgium's stripes are vertical (Black–Yellow–Red in 13:15).
How to tell Germany and Belgium apart at a glance
- Check the stripe orientation: Germany has horizontal stripes; Belgium has vertical stripes.
- Check the middle color: Germany places RED in the middle (Black–Red–Gold), whereas Belgium places YELLOW in the middle (Black–Yellow–Red).
- Compare the aspect ratio: Germany is a standard 3:5 rectangle, whereas Belgium's statutory state flag is an almost-square 13:15 rectangle.
Side-by-side structural comparison
| Attribute | Germany | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 3:5 (3:5) | 13:15 (13:15) |
| Layout & orientation | horizontal tricolor | vertical tricolor |
| Band / color sequence | black · red · yellow | black · yellow · red |
| Official color specs | RAL 9005 Jet Black (Tiefschwarz) (RAL 9005 / RGB 0, 0, 0); RAL 3020 Traffic Red (Verkehrsrot) (RAL 3020 / Pantone 485 C); RAL 1021 Rapeseed Yellow (Rapsgelb / Gold) (RAL 1021 / Pantone Yellow 012 C) | Sable (Black) (Pantone Black); Or (Yellow) (Pantone Yellow 115 C); Gules (Red) (Pantone Red 032 C) |
| Official adoption | 1949-05-23 | 1831-01-23 |
| Region | Western Europe | Western Europe |
| Visual similarity score | 68/100 (Layout 25/35 · Colors 17/25 · Symbols 20/20 · Ratio 0/10 · Geometry 6/10) | |
Why these two flags look alike
Visitors often assume that neighboring Germany and Belgium derived their black, red, and yellow/gold tricolors from a shared origin, yet the two flags arose independently in the early nineteenth century.
Belgium's colors come directly from the medieval heraldic shield of the Duchy of Brabant—a golden-yellow lion with red claws and a red tongue on a black shield—arranged vertically in January 1831 after the model of the French tricolor to distinguish Belgian revolutionary forces from the horizontal Dutch tricolor. Germany's colors trace to the black coats, red collar trim, and brass buttons of the 1813 Lützow Free Corps during the Napoleonic Wars, arranged horizontally in 1848 with red in the center and gold at the bottom.
Thus, in addition to horizontal versus vertical orientation, the two flags also differ in color sequence: Germany places red between black and gold, while Belgium obeys the heraldic rule of tincture by placing yellow between black and red.
Explore each flag in detail
Read the complete statutory specification, color table, and historical timeline on the Flag of Germany page or the Flag of Belgium page, or return to all flag comparisons.