People at risk of poverty or social exclusion are more affected by difficulties related to disability

Recent data from Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, reveal that people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) are more likely to have functional difficulties in seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, caring for themselves or communicating. These six functional limitations are measured using an internationally recognised tool called the “Washington Group Questions”. These results are published to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC) of 2022 interviewed the members aged 16 and over of more than 6,000 Belgian households about their living conditions and health.
In order of importance, the greatest differences between AROPE and non-AROPE people can be found in the indicators of mobility, memory and concentration, and vision. These figures highlight the importance of taking into account the links between disability on the one hand and poverty and living conditions on the other. It should be noted that these data do not allow us to determine the direction of causality between disability and poverty or social exclusion. Poverty may, for example, lead to an increased risk of disability due to factors such as limited access to healthcare, healthy food or safe working conditions. Conversely, disability can lead to poverty by limiting employment opportunities and increasing care costs. Moreover, this link can be explained, at least in part, by a confounding variable such as the age of the respondents.
Main results:
- 17.5% of AROPE people say they have difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, versus 9.3% of non-AROPE people;
- 10.7% of AROPE people have difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid, versus 7.9% of non-AROPE people;
- 30.9% of AROPE people have difficulty walking or climbing stairs, versus 12.7% of non-AROPE people;
- 19.2% of AROPE people have difficulty remembering or concentrating, versus 9.9% of non-AROPE people;
- 10.5% of AROPE people have difficulty taking care of themselves, such as washing themselves or getting dressed, versus 4.0% of non-AROPE people;
- 7.2% of AROPE people have difficulty communicating (understanding or being understood), versus 2.8% of non-AROPE people.
These data are also available with a breakdown by region, degree of urbanisation, gender, level of education, employment status, tenancy status, household type, age group, income quintile and various poverty indicators in addition to AROPE (AROP, LWI, SMSD, MSD). This detailed information can be consulted via this link: Statbel - Health and well-being (.xlsx) .