More than 2.1 million Belgians are at risk of poverty or social exclusion
In 2024, 18.2% of the Belgian population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, or just over 2.1 million people. This is what emerged from the latest results of the survey on income and living conditions (SILC) for the year 2024 organised by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. Every year, this survey measures various indicators relating to poverty, income inequality and living conditions.
To be considered as being at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), an individual must be faced with at least one of these three situations:
- The risk of monetary poverty (AROP): In 2024, 11.5% of the Belgian population had a disposable income below the poverty threshold.
- Low work intensity (LWI): 11.3% of the population lives in a household where the working-age adults have worked very little over the last 12 months (i.e. less than 20% of their total potential).
- Severe material and social deprivation (SMSD): 6.1% of the population is faced with severe material and social deprivation, i.e. those people are unable to meet certain current expenses (paying bills, replacing worn-out furniture, going out regularly, etc.) deemed necessary for an acceptable standard of living. This indicator is discussed in more detail in this publication.
Regional and provincial differences
As in previous years, there are still major regional disparities:
- The Brussels-Capital Region has the highest levels of poverty and social exclusion.
- The Flemish Region registers the lowest rates for all indicators.
- The Walloon Region is in between, but with higher values than the national level.
At provincial level, the data confirm significant differences: some provinces (particularly in Flanders, such as Flemish Brabant and the province of West Flanders) have a more favourable situation on poverty or social exclusion indicators, while in Brussels and certain provinces in Wallonia such as Hainaut, the risk of poverty or social exclusion is higher than in the other provinces.
Evolution of poverty and social exclusion over time
Over the years, these four indicators have shown slightly contrasting trends:
- AROPE decreased from 20.0% in 2019 to 18.6% in 2023 and 18.2% in 2024.
- LWI was 12.8% in 2019 and decreased to 10.5% in 2023 and 11.3% in 2024.
- SMSD was 6.3% in 2019 and 6.1% in 2024: this rate has remained stable in recent years. It also stood at 6.1% in 2023.
- AROP went from 14.8% in 2019 to 11.5% in 2024. In 2023, it was 12.3%. There has therefore been a downward trend in recent years.
Focus on the risk of monetary poverty: poverty rate and threshold
The poverty threshold continues to rise, reflecting the overall increase in the median income of Belgians. For a person living alone, this threshold is now €18,235 a year, or €1,520 a month (versus €1,450 in 2023). For a household with two adults and two dependent children, this monthly amount is €3,191, compared to €3,045 in 2023. Despite the rise in the poverty threshold, monetary poverty (AROP) does not increase, and goes from 12.3% in 2023 to 11.5% in 2024. This can be explained, among others, by the increase in income for certain households linked to the indexation of salaries and pensions. It should also be remembered that the measure of the risk of poverty is relative: a rise in the poverty threshold does not automatically mean a rise in the poverty rate.
Focus on inequalities: Gini, S80/S20, RMG
Several indicators measure the level of income inequality within the population:
- The Gini index, where 0 equals perfect income equality and 100 equals total inequality, remains stable. It goes from 25.1% in 2019 to 24.2% in 2023 and 24.7% in 2024.
- The S80/S20 ratio measures the ratio between the total income of the wealthiest 20% and that of the least well-off 20%. It also remains stable, from 3.6 in 2019 to 3.4 in 2023 and 3.5 in 2024. So, in 2024, the wealthiest earn 3.5 times more than the poorest, on average.
- The RMG index, or the relative median at-risk-of-poverty gap, goes from 16.3 in 2019 to 15.6 in 2024. It was 14 in 2023. In other words, in 2024, the median income of people living below the poverty threshold was 15.6% below that threshold.
Overall, these indicators suggest that income (in)equality has remained relatively stable in recent years.
In order to meet European requirements, the SILC survey was thoroughly reformed in 2019. This reform makes it possible to calculate the results more accurately. As a result of these changes, the results from 2019 onwards are not comparable with those of previous years.
Purpose and brief description
"EU-SILC" (European Union - Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) is a European survey on income and living conditions and an important tool to map poverty and social exclusion at Belgian and European level.
In Belgium, the EU-SILC survey is organised by Statbel. Every year, about 6,000 households (or 11,000 people) are surveyed and followed up for a maximum of four consecutive years. In the SILC survey, social exclusion is regarded as the result of several factors such as income, employment, health and education 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 (Compter Assisted Telephone Interview).
Respons
± 60% (N= ± 6.000 households)
Frequency
Annually.
Timing publication
First quarter after survey year
Questionaires
Definitions
Calculation of the monetary poverty risk (AROP)
The poverty threshold is set at 60 % of the median disposable income at individual level. It is calculated as follows: 60 % of 22,784 euros per year equals to a threshold of 13,670 euros per year or 1,139 euros per month for a single person. For households, this threshold is not simply multiplied by the number of household members. Considering that household members share costs and expenditures, a factor of 0.5 is applied to a second adult in a household in the calculation of the poverty threshold, and a factor of only 0.3 is applied to children (<14 years). The poverty threshold for a household consisting of two adults and two children is therefore obtained by multiplying the threshold of single people by a factor of 2.1 [(€13,670 *2.1)/12 = €2,392 per month]. This factor of 2.1 is calculated by assigning a weight of 1 to the head of the household, of 0.5 to the second adult of the household and of 0.3 to each child.
Households with low work intensity (LWI)
These are the households where adults (aged 18 to 59, excluding students) have worked on average less than one fifth of the time during the reference year.
Material deprivation (SMD): details of the indicator
People considered as "severely materially deprived" are confronted with at least four of the nine following situations: they cannot afford to pay rent or utility bills, to keep their home adequately warm, to face unexpected expenses, to eat meat, fish or a protein equivalent every second day, to go on a one-week holiday away from home, to have a car, a washing machine, a colour TV or a telephone.
European poverty indicator: AROPE (At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion)
This indicator is derived from the three indicators mentioned above (AROP, LWI, SMD). If one or more of the conditions are met, i.e. if the household in which the person lives is characterised by low income and/or low work intensity and/or severe material deprivation, that person is considered at risk of poverty and/or social exclusion (multidimensional poverty).
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
- 2013: break in the series for the unemployed
- 2016 to 2018: figures revised on 12/03/2020
- 2019: time series break due to a major reform of the survey
- SILC 2020: Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on SILC 2020 results
- SILC 2021: From SILC 2021, real property withholding tax will be included in 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.