Nearly one Belgian in ten suffers from material and social deprivation
11.2% 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 38.2% in Brussels and 40.7% in Hainaut, while it remains lower in West Flanders (9.9%) and Flemish Brabant (9.4%).
Moreover, 6.1% 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. 21.5% of the Belgian population report being unable to face unexpected expenses (of around €1,400) and 21.3% 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, 38.2% are unable to face an unexpected expense, versus 31.1% 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 8.4% 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 22.5% of Walloon residents, compared to 15.5% 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% | 8.4% | 2.7% | 8.0% |
| take one week’s holiday away from home each year | 21.3% | 30.3% | 14.7% | 30.4% |
| afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish at least every second day | 4.2% | 10.0% | 1.7% | 7.0% |
| face unexpected financial expenses | 21.5% | 38.2% | 13.2% | 31.1% |
| afford a car | 6.1% | 18.4% | 3.9% | 6.1% |
| heat their home adequately (for financial reasons) | 4.9% | 9.0% | 2.3% | 8.3% |
| replace damaged or worn out furniture | 15.5% | 26.4% | 9.7% | 22.5% |
| replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones | 8.1% | 17.2% | 5.7% | 9.5% |
| have two pairs of shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes) | 1.6% | 2.5% | 0.9% | 2.7% |
| afford an internet connection at home | 0.9% | 3.0% | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month | 10.1% | 15.9% | 6.9% | 14.0% |
| regularly participate in a leisure activity such as sports, cinema, concert, etc. | 12.8% | 18.1% | 7.6% | 20.6% |
| spend a small amount of money each week on yourself | 12.9% | 22.2% | 7.0% | 20.6% |
| SMSD - Severe material and social deprivation (7 out of 13 items) | 6.1% | 13.6% | 3.4% | 8.6% |
| MSD - Material and social deprivation (5 out of 13 items) | 11.2% | 21.3% | 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 21.5% 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 (38.2%) 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 38.3% to 31.1%.
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 | 8.4% | 38.2% | 10.0% | 9.0% | 21.3% | 13.6% | |
| Province of Antwerp | 2.8% | 18.2% | 2.5% | 1.8% | 8.1% | 4.4% | |
| Province of Limburg | 2.7% | 10.1% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 4.6% | 2.3% | |
| Province of East Flanders | 3.7% | 14.5% | 0.9% | 2.8% | 9.1% | 4.8% | |
| Province of Flemish Brabant | 1.9% | 9.4% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 5.1% | 2.3% | |
| Province of West Flanders | 2.1% | 9.9% | 1.2% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 2.2% | |
| Province of Walloon Brabant | 5.1% | 23.2% | 6.0% | 11.3% | 14.6% | 8.0% | |
| Province of Hainaut | 12.9% | 40.7% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 22.6% | 13.2% | |
| Province of Liège | 5.2% | 27.2% | 5.1% | 8.5% | 11.8% | 4.5% | |
| Province of Luxembourg | 3.8% | 25.1% | 5.8% | 9.5% | 13.0% | 6.6% | |
| Province of Namur | 5.9% | 24.2% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 12.3% | 6.9% | |
| *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 38.2% in Brussels and 40.7% in Hainaut, while it remains lower in West Flanders (9.9%) 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 22.6% and a severe deprivation (SMSD) rate of 13.2%, compared to, for example, 3.7% and 2.2% in West Flanders.
[1] Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the results of SILC 2020
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 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 6.3% | 6.7% | 6.3% | 5.8% | 6.1% | 6.1% |
| Per region | ||||||
| Brussels-Capital Region | 13.7% | 13.5% | 11.5% | 11.6% | 13.7% | 13.6% |
| Flemish Region | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Walloon Region | 8.6% | 9.5% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 8.5% | 8.6% |
| Per gender | ||||||
| Men | 6.2% | 6.5% | 6.2% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 5.8% |
| Women | 6.4% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 6.4% |
| Per age group | ||||||
| 0-17 | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.6% | 7.7% | 7.6% | 7.8% |
| 18-24 | 4.9% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 6.3% |
| 25-49 | 6.3% | 7.0% | 6.6% | 6.0% | 7.1% | 6.5% |
| 50-64 | 7.2% | 7.5% | 6.8% | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.7% |
| 65+ | 3.1% | 4.0% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Per household type | ||||||
| 1 adult with child(ren) | 17.2% | 19.3% | 16.9% | 17.5% | 14.5% | 13.1% |
| 2 adults with child(ren) | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 6.0% |
| 2 adults without children, at least one 64+ | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| 2 adults without children, < 65 | 4.2% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| Single | 11.1% | 11.6% | 9.6% | 9.8% | 10.5% | 9.4% |
| Other | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 6.4% | 5.8% |
Percentage of the population in a situation of material and social deprivation (MSD)
| Material and social deprivation - Belgium | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 11.0% | 11.0% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 11.2% |
| Per region | ||||||
| Brussels-Capital Region | 21.2% | 20.5% | 17.2% | 17.5% | 19.2% | 21.3% |
| Flemish Region | 6.5% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 6.0% | 6.5% |
| Walloon Region | 15.9% | 15.8% | 14.1% | 14.4% | 15.5% | 16.2% |
| Per gender | ||||||
| Men | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.9% | 8.9% | 9.9% | 10.5% |
| Women | 11.3% | 11.5% | 10.4% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.8% |
| Per age group | ||||||
| 0-17 | 13.1% | 11.9% | 12.1% | 10.7% | 11.7% | 13.8% |
| 18-24 | 8.6% | 10.4% | 10.9% | 8.5% | 10.0% | 11.3% |
| 25-49 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.6% | 9.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 50-64 | 12.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.5% |
| 65+ | 7.0% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.0% |
| Per household type | ||||||
| 1 adult with child(ren) | 29.7% | 28.6% | 24.6% | 26.1% | 23.4% | 24.4% |
| 2 adults with child(ren) | 8.6% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 9.1% | 10.8% |
| 2 adults without children, at least one 64+ | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| 2 adults without children, < 65 | 8.6% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 7.0% |
| Single | 18.4% | 18.7% | 15.8% | 16.9% | 16.8% | 16.1% |
| Other | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 8.4% | 10.3% | 9.3% |
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.
The survey is carried out in Belgium and in the other EU Member States and is coordinated by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In Belgium, the SILC is organised by Statbel.
Population
Private households in Belgium
Data collection method and sample size
CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) - CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview).
Response rate
± 60% (N= ± 6.000 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:
- Pay the bills as scheduled
- Take every year one week’s holiday away from home
- Eat a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day
- Face unexpected financial expenses
- Afford a car
- Keep the home warm
- Replace damaged or worn-out furniture
In addition, people are asked about their individual financial (in)ability to:
- Replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones
- Have two pairs of shoes in good condition
- Afford an internet connection at home
- Get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month
- Participate regularly in a leisure activity
- 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.
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.