More than 2 million Belgians at risk of poverty or social exclusion
2,144,000 Belgians, or 18.7% of the population, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE). This is what emerged from the poverty figures for 2022 published today by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, based on the survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC).
13.2% of Belgians live in a household with a total disposable income lower than the poverty line, which is 1,366 euros per month for a single person. They are considered at risk of monetary poverty (AROP). Furthermore, 11.5% of the population live in a household with low work intensity (LWI). 5.8% of the Belgian population was facing severe material and social deprivation (SMSD) in 2022.
People who are confronted with at least one of the three situations above are considered at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) according to the European poverty indicator of the Europe 2030 strategy. For 2022, this was 18.7% of the population, or 2,144,000 Belgians.
Rising poverty line
The 2022 poverty threshold increased by 73 euros per month compared to 2021 for single people, and by 153 euros for a family with two adults and two children. For a single person, the poverty threshold is 1,366 euros; for a family with two adults and two children, it is 2,868 euros per month. The previous year's income is used to calculate that threshold. Thus, the 2021 threshold was calculated based on the income from 2020 in which a significant part of the working population experienced an income loss due to COVID-19. The increase in the poverty threshold that we usually see from year to year was absent in 2021; the threshold then remained rather the same. The sharp rise in the poverty threshold in 2022 illustrates a recovery in this income loss.
Regional differences in risks of poverty
Behind the national figures there are large regional differences. For each of the key indicators, the situation is the most precarious in the Brussels-Capital Region, and the least precarious in the Flemish Region. The Walloon Region is in between, but has higher poverty levels than the national level. Clear differences can also be seen at provincial level. The Flemish provinces do not differ very much from each other as regards monetary poverty, with the exception of Antwerp where higher levels are recorded. In Wallonia, the differences are more pronounced: Hainaut has the highest monetary poverty rate, Walloon Brabant the lowest.
Diploma important protective factor
The figures also show the importance of a higher education degree. For each of the key poverty indicators, the highly-skilled are significantly less vulnerable:
- 6.7% of highly-skilled people are at risk of monetary poverty (AROP), compared to 26.2% of low-skilled people.
- 1.8% of highly-skilled people are facing severe material and social deprivation (SMSD), compared to 12.1% of low-skilled people.
- 4.4% of highly-skilled people live in a household with low work intensity (LWI), compared to 31.9% of low-skilled people.
- 8.7% of highly-skilled people are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), compared to 36.8% of low-skilled people.
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.
Population
Private households
Data collection method and sample size
CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) - CATI (Compter Assisted Telephone Interview).
Respons
± 60% (N= ± 7000 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.