Material and social deprivation

Nearly 2.5 million Belgians cannot afford a week's holiday

Households
Nearly 2.5 million Belgians cannot afford a week's holiday

21.6% of the Belgian population does not have sufficient financial resources to afford a week's holiday, i.e. 2,495,000 people. These are the first results of the survey on income and living conditions in 2023 (EU-SILC). More than 6,400 households were interviewed by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, about their financial means.

Going on holiday is no easy matter

About one in five Belgians did not have the budget to pay for a one-week holiday in 2023. In the Brussels-Capital Region (36.4%) and the Walloon Region (31.5%), this concerns about a third of the population, and 13.5% in the Flemish Region. Population groups particularly affected are the unemployed (46,5%), tenants (46%), members of single-parent families (44.7%) and the low-skilled (40.4%).

Neither is facing an unexpected expense

An unexpected expense of 1,300 euros is also a problem for 21.5% of Belgians. This again affects almost 2.5 million Belgians. This problem also occurs mainly in Brussels (38.3%) and Wallonia (32.6%), and less in Flanders (12.3%). About half of tenants (51.9%), the unemployed (50.5%) and members of single-parent families (49.8%) do not have this financial buffer.

13 items make up (severe) material and social deprivation

Being able to afford a week's holiday and to face an unexpected expense, together with 11 other material and social cost items, form the basis for the (severe) material and social deprivation indicator. Those who cannot afford five of those aspects are materially and socially deprived (MSD). Those who cannot afford seven of those aspects are severely materially and socially deprived (SMSD). In 2023, respectively 10.4% and 6.1% of the population were in that situation.

Inability to ... Belgium Brussels-Capital Region Flemish region Walloon region
pay the bills as scheduled 4.7% 4.9% 2.9% 8.1%
afford one week's holiday away from home every year 21.6% 36.4% 13.5% 31.5%
afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish at least every second day 4.2% 12.7% 1.4% 6.4%
face an unexpected financial expense 21.5% 38.3% 12.3% 32.6%
buy a car 6.1% 19.9% 3.9% 5.4%
keep their home adequately warm (for financial reasons) 5.9% 10.0% 2.3% 11.3%
replace damaged or worn out furniture 14.6% 25.4% 9.7% 20.0%
replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones 7.8% 15.2% 5.5% 9.5%
have two pairs of shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes) 1.8% 1.2% 1.5% 2.4%
afford an Internet connection at home 1.0% 1.8% 0.9% 0.9%
get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month 10.0% 16.1% 7.0% 13.4%
regularly participate in a leisure activity such as sport, cinema, concert, etc. 12.4% 20.3% 7.0% 19.7%
spend a small amount of money each week on yourself 11.5% 20.2% 5.7% 19.3%
SMSD - Severe material and social deprivation (7 items out of 13)  6.1% 13.7% 3.4% 8.5%
MSD - Material and social deprivation (5 items out of 13)  10.4% 19.2% 6.0% 15.5%
SMSD
Content

Percentage of the population in a situation of severely material and social deprivation (SMSD)

Severe material and social deprivation - Belgium 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total 6.3% 6.7% 6.3% 5.8% 6.1%
Per region
Brussels-Capital Region 13.7% 13.5% 11.5% 11.6% 13.7%
Flemish Region 3.6% 3.9% 4.4% 3.2% 3.4%
Walloon Region 8.6% 9.5% 8.0% 8.7% 8.5%
Per gender
Men 6.2% 6.5% 6.2% 5.5% 6.0%
Women 6.4% 6.9% 6.4% 6.1% 6.2%
Per age group
0-17 8.4% 8.1% 8.6% 7.7% 7.6%
18-24 4.9% 5.8% 4.7% 4.7% 4.3%
25-49 6.3% 7.0% 6.6% 6.0% 7.1%
50-64 7.2% 7.5% 6.8% 6.2% 6.0%
65+ 3.1% 4.0% 3.0% 3.5% 3.6%
Per household type
1 adult with child(ren) 17.2% 19.3% 16.9% 17.5% 14.5%
2 adults with child(ren) 5.0% 5.2% 5.6% 4.7% 5.2%
2 adults without children, at least one 64+ 2.0% 2.1% 2.5% 2.0% 1.9%
2 adults without children, < 65 4.2% 4.9% 3.4% 3.3% 3.1%
Single 11.1% 11.6% 9.6% 9.8% 10.5%
Other 4.4% 4.7% 4.2% 5.1% 6.4%
MSD
Content

Percentage of the population in a situation of material and social deprivation (MSD)

Material and social deprivation - Belgium 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total 11.0% 11.0% 10.2% 9.5% 10.4%
Per region
Brussels-Capital Region 21.2% 20.5% 17.2% 17.5% 19.2%
Flemish Region 6.5% 6.6% 6.7% 5.4% 6.0%
Walloon Region 15.9% 15.8% 14.1% 14.4% 15.5%
Per gender
Men 10.8% 10.6% 9.9% 8.9% 9.9%
Women 11.3% 11.5% 10.4% 10.1% 10.9%
Per age group
0-17 13.1% 11.9% 12.1% 10.7% 11.7%
18-24 8.6% 10.4% 10.9% 9.4% 9.7%
25-49 11.4% 11.4% 10.6% 9.8% 11.5%
50-64 12.7% 13.2% 11.4% 10.8% 11.0%
65+ 7.0% 7.2% 5.9% 6.6% 6.6%
Per household type
1 adult with child(ren) 29.7% 28.6% 24.6% 26.1% 23.4%
2 adults with child(ren) 8.6% 9.2% 9.2% 7.5% 9.1%
2 adults without children, at least one 64+ 4.9% 4.4% 4.4% 4.1% 4.0%
2 adults without children, < 65 8.6% 9.2% 9.2% 7.5% 9.1%
Single 18.4% 18.7% 15.8% 16.9% 16.8%
Other 7.6% 7.6% 7.5% 8.4% 10.3%

Purpose and brief description

EU-SILC (European Union - Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) is a survey on income and living conditions and an important tool to map poverty and social exclusion at both Belgian and European level.

The objective of this survey is to establish a global framework for the production of 'Community' statistical data on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), including both coherent cross-sectional and longitudinal data on income and poverty (level, composition,...) at national and European level.

Population

Private households

Data collection method and sample size

CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) - CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview).

Response rate

± 60% (N= ± 6.500 households).

Periodicity

Annually.

Release calendar

First quarter after survey year

Forms

Definitions

Risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE)

The risk of poverty or social exclusion, abbreviated AROPE, refers to the situation in which individuals are faced with at least one of the 3 following poverty risks: monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation or living in a household with very low work intensity. The AROPE rate, the share of the total population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, is the main indicator for monitoring the ‘EU 2030’ target on poverty and social exclusion.

Poverty risk = Monetary poverty risk (AROP)

The at-risk-of-poverty rate (AROP) is the percentage of people with an equivalised disposable income (after social transfer) below the poverty threshold.

The indicator does not measure wealth or poverty, but low income in comparison to other residents in that country. This does not necessarily imply a low standard of living.

Poverty risk before social transfers: Percentage of people whose equivalised disposable income after deduction of all social transfers falls below the poverty threshold.

Poverty risk before social transfers, excluding pensions: Percentage of people whose equivalised disposable income after deduction of social transfers, excluding pensions, falls below the poverty threshold.

Material and social deprivation rate (MSD) and severe material and social deprivation (SMSD)

The material and social deprivation rate refers to the inability to afford some goods/services considered by most people to be desirable or even necessary to lead an adequate life. The indicator distinguishes between individuals who cannot afford a certain good/service/activity, and those who do not have this good/service/activity for another reason, e.g. because they do not want or do not need it.

The EU-SILC survey asks households about their financial (in)ability to:

  1. Pay the bills as scheduled
  2. Take every year one week’s holiday away from home
  3. Eat a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day
  4. Face unexpected financial expenses
  5. Afford a car
  6. Keep the home warm
  7. Replace damaged or worn-out furniture

In addition, people are asked about their individual financial (in)ability to:

  1. Replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones
  2. Have two pairs of shoes in good condition
  3. Afford an internet connection at home
  4. Get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month
  5. Participate regularly in a leisure activity
  6.  Spend a small amount of money each week on yourself

The material and social deprivation rate (MSD) is defined as the enforced inability to pay for at least five of the above-mentioned items.
The severe material and social deprivation rate (SMSD) is defined as the enforced inability to pay for at least seven of the above-mentioned items.

Low work intensity (LWI)

The indicator persons living in households with very low work intensity is defined as the number of persons living in a household where the members of working age worked a working time less than 20% of their total work-time potential during the previous 12 months.
The work intensity of a household is the ratio of the total number of months that all working-age household members have worked during the income reference year and the total number of months the same household members theoretically could have worked in the same period.
An employee of working age is a person aged 18-59, excluding students aged 18-24. Households composed only of children, of students aged less than 25 and/or people aged 60 or more are completely excluded from the indicator calculation.

Level of education

The level of education is measured using a detailed questionnaire, and the people are then divided into three groups.

Low-skilled people are people who list lower secondary education as their highest level of education. Medium-skilled people  are people who obtained a diploma of higher secondary education but not of higher education. High-skilled people obtained a diploma of higher education.

More definitions...

Comments

Break in the series in 2013 for unemployed persons (until 2012 early retired persons were considered as unemployed persons based on the nature of their income).

Since 2013 this category of individuals has been classified in the same category as (anticipatively) retired persons or persons in a position of non-activity before retirement. This classification better reflects the distribution advocated by Eurostat, in which early retired persons should only be considered as unemployed persons if they intend to re-enter the labour market.

The rise in the poverty rate among the unemployed population in 2013 is therefore due to a technical cause and does not reflect any fundamental change in the actual situation.

SILC 2016 to 2018:figures revised on 12/03/2020

SILC 2019:break in time series due to major survey reform

SILC 2020: Impact COVID-19 situation on SILC 2020 results

SILC 2021: From SILC 2021, real property withholding tax will be included in the disposable income.

Legislation

EU-SILC 2004 to 2020 was implemented under a framework regulation, mandatory for all EU Member States:REGULATION (EC) No 1177/2003 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 June 2003 concerning Community statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC).

From SILC 2021 onwards there is the REGULATION (EU) 2019/1700 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL. This framework regulation for integrated European Social Statistics (IESS) and the underlying implementing regulations for EU-SILC constitute the new legal framework. The development of the statistical infrastructure under IESS is supported by European grants.

Metadata

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