In 2016, 20.7% of the Belgian population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must be reduced to 10.6%.
Risk of poverty or social exclusion
percentage of total population
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 21.6 | 22.6 | 20.8 | 21.0 | 21.6 | 20.8 | 21.2 | 21.1 | 20.7 | -0.4 | -0.3 |
| EU-28 | -- | -- | 23.7 | 24.3 | 24.7 | 24.6 | 24.4 | 23.8 | 23.5 | -- | -0.7 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
Risk of poverty or social exclusion by sex - Belgium
percentage of total population
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| females | 22.9 | 23.7 | 21.7 | 21.5 | 22.3 | 21.2 | 21.5 | 22.2 | 22.0 | -0.3 | 0.5 |
| males | 20.3 | 21.4 | 20.0 | 20.4 | 20.9 | 20.4 | 20.9 | 20.0 | 19.4 | -0.4 | -1.0 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
Risk of poverty or social exclusion by age - Belgium
percentage of total population
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <18 | 22.7 | 23.7 | 23.2 | 23.3 | 22.8 | 21.9 | 23.2 | 23.3 | 21.6 | -0.4 | -1.5 |
| 18-64 | 21.2 | 21.9 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 21.7 | 0.2 | 1.6 |
| >64 | 22.0 | 23.3 | 21.0 | 21.6 | 21.2 | 19.5 | 17.3 | 16.2 | 16.4 | -2.4 | -5.4 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
Risk of poverty or social exclusion by household type - Belgium
percentage of total population
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| single person | 34.0 | 35.4 | 30.6 | 31.4 | 30.8 | 33.5 | 33.0 | 31.5 | 30.9 | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| single person with dependent children | 57.8 | 51.7 | 49.6 | 52.9 | 52.4 | 54.5 | 51.4 | 48.9 | 53.0 | -0.7 | 0.0 |
| two adults | 23.3 | 22.3 | 20.1 | 19.9 | 20.1 | 18.3 | 16.2 | 15.6 | 17.4 | -2.4 | -2.6 |
| two adults with one dependent child | 12.7 | 13.5 | 13.0 | 12.3 | 15.8 | 13.4 | 13.9 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 |
| two adults with two dependent children | 10.7 | 11.6 | 12.0 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 8.6 | 12.9 | 12.2 | 9.5 | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| two adults with three or more dependent children | 20.5 | 23.4 | 20.6 | 19.4 | 21.7 | 23.4 | 21.5 | 24.1 | 22.0 | 0.6 | 2.5 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
Risk of poverty or social exclusion by activity status - Belgium
percentage of total population aged 18 years and over
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| employed | 5.7 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| not employed | 36.6 | 37.9 | 33.8 | 34.6 | 35.8 | 35.5 | 34.8 | 34.6 | 33.8 | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| unemployed | 60.2 | 64.1 | 53.4 | 56.5 | 57.7 | 69.8 | 63.6 | 67.6 | 66.2 | 0.8 | 3.2 |
| retired | 22.0 | 23.8 | 19.7 | 20.1 | 19.9 | 19.4 | 17.2 | 16.3 | 16.4 | -2.4 | -4.0 |
| other inactive | 41.8 | 41.0 | 41.4 | 41.8 | 44.6 | 45.5 | 47.1 | 47.4 | 47.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
break in time series: 2013
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
Risk of poverty or social exclusion by income - Belgium
percentage of total population
| 2004 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2016//2004 | 2016//2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| quintile 1 | 80.4 | 82.6 | 81.2 | 82.7 | 83.3 | 82.4 | 84.0 | 82.3 | 84.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| quintile 2 | 16.8 | 17.6 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 16.5 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 15.1 | 13.2 | -2.0 | -0.9 |
| quintile 3 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 4.0 | -5.1 | -4.4 |
| quintile 4 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 | -6.2 | -11.4 |
| quintile 5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | -3.3 | -14.3 |
| //: average growth rates | |||||||||||
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2017), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_peps01, ilc_peps02, ilc_peps03, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 08/11/2017).
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At www.indicators.be the Federal Planning Bureau presents indicators measuring the development of Belgian society.
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