Since 2021, the IALC survey conducted by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, has made it possible to monitor changes in Belgians’^[1] perceptions of their living conditions through indicators such as feelings of happiness, financial satisfaction, social relationships, etc. In the third quarter 2025:

• 7.3% always or usually felt lonely,
• 66.2% rarely (29.8%) or never (36.4%) felt lonely,
• 69.4% always or usually felt happy,
• 7.3% rarely (5.3%) or never (2%) felt happy,
• 36.4% found it very difficult, difficult or rather difficult to make ends meet,
• 58.3% reported a high degree of general life satisfaction,
• 70.3% reported a high degree of satisfaction with personal relationships,
• 38% reported a high degree of satisfaction with their financial situation.

The indicators also show differences in how social groups experience their personal well-being and living conditions. When we examine the activity status, we see that individuals who are unable to work because of long-standing health problems are more likely to report difficult circumstances. In the third quarter 2025:

• 18.2% of people with long-term work incapacity always or usually felt lonely,
• 42.4% of people with long-term work incapacity rarely (20.8%) or never (21.6%) felt lonely,
• 36.3% of people with long-term work incapacity always or usually felt happy,
• 24.7% of people with long-term work incapacity rarely (20.8%) or never (3.9%) felt happy,
• 68% of people with long-term work incapacity found it very difficult, difficult or rather difficult to make ends meet,
• 22.3% of people with long-term work incapacity reported a high degree of general life satisfaction,
• 42.1% of people with long-term work incapacity reported a high degree of satisfaction with personal relationships,
• 18.6% of people with long-term work incapacity reported a high degree of satisfaction with their financial situation.

The graph shows that both the people with long-term work incapacity and the unemployed are more likely to face difficult living conditions than employed people, the retired, students or persons performing domestic tasks.

Figures from previous quarters confirm these findings.

^[1] The term “Belgians” is used here to describe the inhabitants of private households in Belgium. These figures come from a survey where Statbel asks every quarter some 5,000 Belgians aged 16 to 74 about their personal well-being and living conditions.