Belgium's 43 arrondissements function as the third level of administrative division, positioned between the provinces and municipalities. These districts primarily serve judicial and electoral purposes rather than as units of active governance. Each arrondissement contains a court of first instance and serves as a constituency for federal elections to the Chamber of Representatives. While arrondissements once held greater administrative significance, their role has diminished over time, with most executive functions transferred to provinces or municipalities. They remain important for organizing statistical data collection and coordinating certain federal services at the sub-provincial level. The boundaries of administrative arrondissements do not always align with judicial arrondissements, reflecting Belgium's complex multilayered administrative structure.