Growing up in poverty increases the risk of adult poverty
Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, studied the intergenerational transmission of poverty within the 2023 EU-SILC survey.
The findings show that just under one in two people who experienced poor or very poor financial circumstances as teenagers are at risk of poverty or social exclusion in adulthood, compared to less than one in ten who lived their teenage years in a good or very good financial situation.
Yesterday's poverty weighs heavily on today's poverty
In Belgium, 44.6% of adults (aged between 25 and 59) who grew up in a household with a poor or very poor financial situation are currently at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), compared to 8.9% of those who had a good or very good financial situation.
The tenancy status at the age of 14 is another reflection of social reproduction: People who lived in owner households when they were 14 years old have a 77.1% chance of currently living in an owner household and a 13.3% chance of being AROPE. Conversely, people who grew up in rented accommodation have a 47.9% chance of currently living in owner households and a 33.8% chance of being AROPE.
Level of education
The more educated the father, the more favourable the children's school and financial trajectories. Among individuals whose father has a low level of education, 33.8% obtain a higher education diploma and more than a quarter (26.4%) are now at risk of poverty or social exclusion. When the father has a medium level of education, the proportion of higher education graduates rises to 59.8% and the AROPE rate falls to 11.0%. Finally, growing up with a highly-skilled father leads 82.9% of children to higher education, while their risk of poverty or social exclusion is reduced to 7.8%. In other words, having a highly-skilled father reduces the risk of adult poverty or social exclusion by more than threefold and increases the chances of obtaining a higher education diploma by around 2.5 times. The differences are similar, or even slightly more pronounced, when the mother's level of education is taken into account.
| Fathers' level of education | Respondent’s current level of education | Risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low level of education | Medium level of education | High level of education | ||
| Father with a low level of education | 24.1% | 42.1% | 33.8% | 26.4% |
| Father with a medium level of education | 5.6% | 34.5% | 59.8% | 11.0% |
| Father with a high level of education | 2.1% | 14.9% | 82.9% | 7.8% |
| Mothers' level of education | Respondent’s current level of education | Risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low level of education | Medium level of education | High level of education | ||
| Mother with a low level of education | 23.1% | 41.7% | 35.2% | 27.0% |
| Mother with a medium level of education | 4.6% | 33.7% | 61.7% | 10.7% |
| Mother with a high level of education | 2.0% | 14.3% | 83.7% | 6.1% |
Basic school needs and poverty
In Belgium, 3.7% of adults surveyed reported that, at the age of 14, they did not have access to essential school books and supplies for financial reasons (7.0% in Brussels, 4.4% in Wallonia and 2.7% in Flanders). 58.7% of those who lacked school supplies for financial reasons are now at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 15.9% of those who were adequately equipped at the age of 14.