2,150,000 Belgians, or 18.6% of the population, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE). This is what emerged from the new poverty figures for 2023 published today by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, based on the survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC).
People at risk of poverty or social exclusion are in at least one of these situations:
- They have a disposable income lower than the poverty threshold, which is 1,450 euros per month for a single person (AROP) and 3,045 euros for a household with two adults and two children. In 2023, 12.3% of the population was at risk of monetary poverty.
- They live in a household with low work intensity (LWI). This means that in their household, members of working age have worked less than 20% of their potential in the past 12 months. This was the case for 10.5% of the population.
- They were in a situation of severe material and social deprivation (SMSD). They cannot afford certain goods, services or activities, even though these are considered necessary or desirable by most people to have an acceptable standard of living. In 2023, this was the case for 6.1% of the population.
Rising poverty threshold
The 2023 poverty threshold increased by 84 euros per month to 1,450 euros for single people. For a family with two adults and two children, it amounts to 3,045 euros. This sharp increase in the poverty threshold arises because the 2022 income were used to calculate it, a year marked by the energy crisis. Due to persistent inflation, the central index was exceeded five times, leading to an indexation of benefits and (public service) wages.
However, the sharp increase in the poverty threshold has not led to an increase in the monetary poverty risk, which is now 12.3% and was 13.2% in 2022. Compared to 2022, the situation has improved for vulnerable groups, e.g. low-skilled people (from 26.2% to 23.7%), single parents and their children (from 30.5% to 25.6%), tenants (from 29.1% to 26.3%) and over-65s (from 17.9% to 15.8%). Although the share of employed people at risk of monetary poverty is significantly smaller than that of the groups mentioned above, a notable increase is emerging in this group: from 3.6% in 2022 to 4.7% in 2023. The disposable income of employed people has increased less than that of unemployed, retired and inactive people. Public service wages and social benefits may have been automatically indexed several times in 2022, but private sector wages do not always follow the same pace. Specifically, by delaying wage indexation, a proportion of workers fell below the poverty threshold, which was pushed upwards by (among others) indexed benefits.
Regional differences in risks of poverty
Behind the national figures there are large regional differences. For each of the key indicators, the situation is the most precarious in the Brussels-Capital Region, and the least precarious in the Flemish Region. The Walloon Region is in between, but has higher poverty levels than the national level. Clear differences can also be seen at provincial level. The Flemish provinces do not differ very much from each other as regards monetary poverty, with the exception of Antwerp where higher levels are recorded. In Wallonia too, the differences are not very pronounced for monetary poverty, with only Walloon Brabant recording significantly lower levels.
Severe housing deprivation high in Brussels
At national level, 1.7% of the population was facing severe housing deprivation. A person is in this situation when the dwelling is overcrowded and has least 1 of the following problems: a) leaking roof, b) damp wall or floor, c) rotted woodwork, d) neither a bath/shower, nor an indoor flushing toilet, and e) too dark. This problem hardly occurs in Flanders (0.4%) and Wallonia (0.9%), but is almost entirely in Brussels (10.9%).