More than one million Belgians are materially and socially deprived: unexpected expenses and holidays are the main obstacles
9.5% of the Belgian population is materially and socially deprived. This corresponds to 1,083,000 persons. In the Brussels-Capital Region, this is 17.5% of the population, in the Walloon Region 14.4% and in the Flemish Region 5.4%. These are the first results of the survey on income and living conditions in 2022 (EU-SILC). More than 6,700 households were asked about thirteen expenses they can afford or not and about their social contacts. Those who cannot afford five of those aspects are ‘materially and socially deprived’. Those who cannot afford seven of those aspects are ‘severely materially and socially deprived’. In 2022, 5.8% of the population was in the latter situation.
| Inability to ... | Belgium | Brussels-Capital Region | Flemish region | Walloon region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pay the bills as scheduled | 4.3% | 6.8% | 2.5% | 6.7% |
| afford one week's holiday away from home every year | 20.8% | 34.4% | 12.3% | 31.8% |
| afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish at least every second day | 4.1% | 8.3% | 1.9% | 6.7% |
| face an unexpected financial expense | 22.7% | 39.1% | 13.6% | 34.0% |
| buy a car | 6.0% | 17.3% | 4.1% | 5.7% |
| keep their home adequately warm (for financial reasons) | 5.1% | 7.9% | 2.2% | 9.5% |
| replace damaged or worn out furniture | 14.5% | 24.3% | 9.2% | 20.9% |
| replace worn out or old-fashioned clothes by new ones | 7.5% | 14.6% | 4.8% | 10.2% |
| have two pairs of shoes (including a pair of all-weather shoes) | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| afford an Internet connection at home | 1.2% | 2.1% | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| get together with friends/family (relatives) for a drink/meal at least once a month | 8.6% | 14.5% | 5.8% | 11.7% |
| regularly participate in a leisure activity such as sport, cinema, concert, etc. | 10.6% | 16.4% | 6.5% | 16.1% |
| spend a small amount of money each week on yourself | 11.1% | 18.6% | 5.6% | 18.5% |
| SMSD - Severe material and social deprivation (7 items out of 13) | 5.8% | 11.6% | 3.2% | 8.7% |
| MSD - Material and social deprivation (5 items out of 13) | 9.5% | 17.5% | 5.4% | 14.4% |
Unexpected expenses and holidays are the main obstacles
An unexpected expense of 1,300 euros is financially impossible for 22.7% of Belgians. Among the unemployed (56.9%), tenants (52.8%), members of single-parent families (54.8%) and the lowest income (56.4%), this is even more than half of the population. Going on holiday for at least one week every year is also not an option for 20.8% of Belgians for financial reasons. Once again, the unemployed (52%), tenants (45.5%), members of single-parent families (46.3%) and the lowest income are particularly vulnerable (50.7%). The figures also show that work does not necessarily protect against these vulnerabilities: 12.1% of employed people cannot afford a week's holiday and 14.6% struggle to cope with an unexpected expense.
Heating is difficult for 5.1% of Belgians
5.1% of Belgians say they do not have sufficient financial resources to heat their homes adequately. This is the highest percentage since 2019. In Wallonia, this is about just under a tenth of the population (9.5%), while in Brussels it is 7.9% and in Flanders 2.2%. The unemployed (14.6%), tenants (11.4%), members of single-parent families (12.4%) and the lowest income (11.9%) also have the greatest difficulties. An important note here is that the data were collected between February and August 2022 when energy prices were high, but so were temperatures.
Social activities also too expensive for most vulnerable groups
Meeting up with friends or participating in leisure activities are unaffordable for 8.6% and 10.6% of Belgians, respectively. This is about 1 million Belgians for both activities. This kind of poverty again affects the vulnerable groups mentioned earlier: the unemployed (25% and 33% respectively), tenants (21.6% and 25.3% respectively), members of single-parent families (21.9% and 27.2% respectively) and the lowest income (23.9% and 30.1% respectively).
Subjective poverty also varies by region
Subjective poverty, or the (great) difficulty of making ends meet, affects 16.9% of the population. In the Brussels-Capital Region, this is 35.4%, the in Walloon Region 23.7% and in the Flemish Region 9.7%.
Percentage of the population in a situation of severely material and social deprivation (SMSD)
| Severe material and social deprivation - Belgium | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 6.3% | 6.7% | 6.3% | 5.8% |
| Per region | ||||
| Brussels-Capital Region | 13.7% | 13.5% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| Flemish Region | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 3.2% |
| Walloon Region | 8.6% | 9.5% | 8.0% | 8.7% |
| Per gender | ||||
| Men | 6.2% | 6.5% | 6.2% | 5.5% |
| Women | 6.4% | 6.9% | 6.4% | 6.1% |
| Per age group | ||||
| 0-17 | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.6% | 7.7% |
| 18-24 | 4.9% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| 25-49 | 6.3% | 7.0% | 6.6% | 6.0% |
| 50-64 | 7.2% | 7.5% | 6.8% | 6.2% |
| 65+ | 3.1% | 4.0% | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| Per household type | ||||
| 1 adult with child(ren) | 17.2% | 19.3% | 16.9% | 17.5% |
| 2 adults with child(ren) | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| 2 adults without children, at least one 64+ | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| 2 adults without children, < 65 | 4.2% | 4.9% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| Single | 11.1% | 11.6% | 9.6% | 9.8% |
| Other | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
Percentage of the population in a situation of material and social deprivation (MSD)
| Material and social deprivation - Belgium | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 11.0% | 11.0% | 10.2% | 9.5% |
| Per region | ||||
| Brussels-Capital Region | 21.2% | 20.5% | 17.2% | 17.5% |
| Flemish Region | 6.5% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 5.4% |
| Walloon Region | 15.9% | 15.8% | 14.1% | 14.4% |
| Per gender | ||||
| Men | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.9% | 8.9% |
| Women | 11.3% | 11.5% | 10.4% | 10.1% |
| Per age group | ||||
| 0-17 | 13.1% | 11.9% | 12.1% | 10.7% |
| 18-24 | 8.5% | 10.4% | 9.9% | 8.5% |
| 25-49 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 10.6% | 9.8% |
| 50-64 | 12.7% | 13.2% | 11.4% | 10.8% |
| 65+ | 7.0% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 6.6% |
| Per household type | ||||
| 1 adult with child(ren) | 29.7% | 28.6% | 24.6% | 26.1% |
| 2 adults with child(ren) | 8.6% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% |
| 2 adults without children, at least one 64+ | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| 2 adults without children, < 65 | 8.6% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% |
| Single | 18.4% | 18.7% | 15.8% | 16.9% |
| Other | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
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= ± 7000 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.