Revised on 01/10/2025
On 1 October 2025, the previously published results of SILC 2019 to SILC 2024 were reviewed due to a correction in the calculation of the weights (cf. Technical Note). This press release contains the revised results.
11.1% of the Belgian population is in a situation of material and social deprivation (MSD). This is what emerges from the latest figures from the SILC 2024 survey on income and living conditions, which Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, carried out among more than 6,500 households. In other words, nearly one Belgian in ten does not have sufficient resources to cover at least 5 of the 13 essential aspects of daily life (heating, unexpected expenses, access to leisure activities, etc.), which severely limits their quality of life. The two most common problems are the ability to face unexpected expenses (of around €1,400) and to afford one week annual holiday away from home.
Based on the survey carried out in 2024, Statbel provides for the first time a breakdown by province of certain components of material and social deprivation. Geographical disparities are clearly apparent when the data are broken down by province. Overall, the Brussels-Capital Region and certain Walloon provinces (such as Hainaut) have the highest rates for several indicators. For example, the inability to face unexpected expenses reaches 38.3% in Brussels and 41.0% in Hainaut, while it remains lower in West Flanders (9.8%) and Flemish Brabant (9.4%).
Moreover, 6.2% of the population is in a situation of severe material and social deprivation (SMSD) in 2024. In other words, nearly one Belgian in sixteen does not have sufficient resources to cover at least 7 of the 13 essential aspects of daily life, which exacerbates their precarious situation.
When we look at the 13 items that make up the indicators of material and social deprivation, we see that the two most common difficulties relate to the ability to face unexpected expenses and to afford one week annual holiday away from home. 21.6% of the Belgian population report being unable to face unexpected expenses (of around €1,400) and 21.4% report not being able to afford one week annual holiday away from home. At the other end of the scale, 0.9% of the Belgian population say they cannot afford an internet connection at home and 1.6% cannot afford two pairs of shoes.
The situation varies greatly from region to region
The figures show marked differences between the Brussels-Capital Region, the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region. Brussels has the highest deprivation rates for most items: for example, 38.3% are unable to face an unexpected expense, versus 31.4% in Wallonia and 13.2% in Flanders. Generally speaking, the Flemish Region systematically has the lowest deprivation rates: for example, 2.7% for the inability to pay bills as scheduled, compared to 8.0% in Wallonia and 8.7% in Brussels. Wallonia is often in between, but remains above the national level for most indicators, such as the impossibility to replace damaged or worn out furniture, which affects 22.6% of Walloon residents, compared to 15.6% at national level.
Table. Material and social deprivation criteria per region
| Inability to... (for financial reasons) | Belgium | Brussels-Capital Region | Flemish Region | Walloon Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pay the bills as scheduled | 5.0% | 8.7% | 2.7% | 8.0% |
| take one week’s holiday away from home each year | 21.4% | 30.7% | 14.8% | 30.5% |
| afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish at least every second day | 4.2% | 9.8% | 1.6% | 7.0% |
| face unexpected financial expenses | 21.6% | 38.3% | 13.2% | 31.4% |
| afford a car | 6.1% | 18.6% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| heat their home adequately (for financial reasons) | 4.8% | 8.8% | 2.2% | 8.3% |
| replace damaged or worn out furniture | 15.6% | 26.3% | 9.8% | 22.6% |
| replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones | 8.0% | 17.3% | 5.6% | 9.4% |
| have two pairs of shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes) | 1.6% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 2.8% |
| afford an internet connection at home | 0.9% | 3.0% | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month | 10.1% | 16.1% | 6.8% | 14.0% |
| regularly participate in a leisure activity such as sports, cinema, concert, etc. | 12.8% | 18.4% | 7.5% | 20.6% |
| spend a small amount of money each week on yourself | 12.9% | 22.6% | 7.0% | 20.4% |
| SMSD - Severe material and social deprivation (7 out of 13 items) | 6.2% | 13.9% | 3.4% | 8.7% |
| MSD - Material and social deprivation (5 out of 13 items) | 11.1% | 21.5% | 6.5% | 16.2% |
Facing unexpected expenses: a downward trend
At national level, the proportion of Belgians who say they cannot face unexpected expenses (of around €1,400) has fallen from 25.3% in 2019 to 21.6% in 2024, marking a decline over the period observed. However, this trend varies from region to region:
- Brussels-Capital Region: the share of people affected (38.3%) remains relatively stable since 2019 (37.7% in 2019).
- Flemish Region: registers a decrease, from 15.9% to 13.2% over the same period.
- Walloon Region: also down, from 38.2% to 31.4%.
A provincial focus extended to four deprivation criteria
In 2024, Statbel offers for the first time a breakdown by province not only of the material and social deprivation (MSD) and severe material and social deprivation (SMSD) indicators, but also of four of their components:
- the inability to pay the bills as scheduled,
- the inability to face an unexpected financial expense,
- the inability to eat a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent at least every second day,
- the inability to keep their home adequately warm.
Until now, the provincial results have focused solely on the overall MSD and SMSD indicators. These more detailed data now offer a more nuanced view of the difficulties faced by households, allowing the extent of certain forms of deprivation to be measured specifically by province.
The table below shows the results obtained for the four criteria mentioned, as well as for the MSD and SMSD indicators, by province:
| Inability to pay the bills as scheduled* | Inability to face an unexpected financial expense* | Inability to afford a meal with meat or equivalent at least every second day* | Inability to keep their home adequately warm* | MSD - Material and social deprivation | SMSD - Severe material and social deprivation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | 8.7% | 38.3% | 9.8% | 8.8% | 21.5% | 13.9% | |
| Province of Antwerp | 2.7% | 18.2% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 8.0% | 4.3% | |
| Province of Limburg | 2.7% | 10.1% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 4.6% | 2.2% | |
| Province of East Flanders | 3.6% | 14.4% | 0.9% | 2.7% | 9.0% | 4.7% | |
| Province of Flemish Brabant | 1.8% | 9.4% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 5.1% | 2.2% | |
| Province of West Flanders | 2.1% | 9.8% | 1.1% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 2.1% | |
| Province of Walloon Brabant | 5.1% | 23.4% | 6.0% | 11.3% | 14.6% | 8.1% | |
| Province of Hainaut | 12.9% | 41.0% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 22.5% | 13.4% | |
| Province of Liège | 5.2% | 27.4% | 5.1% | 8.5% | 11.7% | 4.5% | |
| Province of Luxembourg | 3.8% | 25.3% | 5.9% | 9.5% | 13.0% | 6.7% | |
| Province of Namur | 5.9% | 24.4% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 12.3% | 7.0% | |
| *For financial reasons | |||||||
Geographical disparities are clearly apparent when the data are broken down by province. Overall, the Brussels-Capital Region and certain Walloon provinces (such as Hainaut) have the highest rates for several indicators. For example, the inability to face unexpected expenses reaches 38.3% in Brussels and 41.0% in Hainaut, while it remains lower in West Flanders (9.8%) and Flemish Brabant (9.4%). These differences are also reflected in the overall MSD and SMSD indicators. Hainaut has a material and social deprivation (MSD) rate of 22.5% and a severe deprivation (SMSD) rate of 13.4%, compared to, for example, 3.7% and 2.1% in West Flanders.
[1] Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the results of SILC 2020