Definition: the percentage of the population aged 18 and over who declared to be working (employed or self-employed) and who are at risk of poverty. Persons are at risk of poverty if their equivalised disposable income is below the poverty risk threshold, which is set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income (after social transfers; Eurostat, 2024).

The data used here on the people at risk of poverty are based on the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey, with income data that relate to the year preceding the survey year. This means, for example, for the survey year 2020 that in the calculation of this indicator the incomes of 2019 were used, which were not affected by the Covid-19 crisis (Statbel, 2021a).

Statbel organises this EU-harmonised survey in Belgium and makes the results available, in particular to Eurostat. 2004 is the first year for which European harmonised data have been collected in order to calculate the indicator. The data used here come from Eurostat, which publishes detailed and comparable results between EU Member States. Since these data are based on a survey, a margin of uncertainty has to be taken into account. This margin of uncertainty increases as the indicator is calculated on smaller sub-populations. The confidence intervals are available on request from Statbel.

From 2019 onwards, the methodology of the survey has been thoroughly revised for better accuracy. Therefore, the data collected until 2018 are not comparable with those collected from 2019 onwards. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic impacted data collection. This makes it difficult to compare the results of SILC 2020 with those of previous years. (Statbel, 2021b). Therefore, they are not used to calculate and evaluate the long-term trend. It should also be noted that due to the widespread use of temporary unemployment during the covid-19 pandemic, the category of 'unemployed' in SILC 2021 includes not only the long-term unemployed, but also persons who have been temporarily unemployed for more than 6 months and who are generally living in less precarious conditions (Statbel, 2022).

Goal: the share of working poor must be reduced.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include targets 8.5 "By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value" and 10.2 "By 2030, enable and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or other status".

The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development (Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013) includes the following objectives: "The labour market will be accessible to all and offer decent work to the active population" (Objective 8), "The level of employment will be as high and stable as possible, respecting the principles of decent work. Everyone of working age will have the opportunity to find gainful employment" (Objective 9) and "Working conditions will be adapted throughout working life to ensure an improved quality of life and the ability to work longer" (Objective 11).

International comparison: between 2010 and 2016, the proportion of working poor in the EU27 rose from 8.5% to 9.8%. Thereafter, this share decreased to 8.3% in 2023. Between 2010 and 2023, the EU27's share is about 4 percentage points higher than Belgium's. When Member States are divided into three groups, Belgium is part of the group that performs best in 2023. In that year, Finland ranked first with 2.8% and Romania last with 15.3%.

UN indicator: the selected indicator is related to indicator 10.2.1 - Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, disaggregated by age group, sex and persons with disabilities. The UN uses 50% as income threshold, while the indicator chosen here assumes 60%.

Sources

• General

  • SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals: United Nations (2015), Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, document A/RES/70/1.

  • Indicators: United Nations (2017), Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017, document A/RES/71/313.

  • UN Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

  • UN Sustainable Development Goal indicators website: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/ (consulted on 18/01/2023).

• Specific

  • Belgian Official Gazette: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/welcome.pl; research on http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/doc/rech_f.htm (consulted on 24/09/2020).

  • Eurostat (2024), EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC) methodology - in-work poverty, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=EU_statistics_on_income_and_living_conditions_(EU-SILC)_methodology_-_in-work_poverty (geraadpleegd op 30/10/2024).

  • Statbel (2021a), Chiffres clés 2021, p. 31, https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/nouvelles/chiffres-cles-2021 (consulted on 10/12/2021)

  • Statbel (2021b), SILC FAQ, https://statbel.fgov.be/fr/themes/menages/pauvrete-et-conditions-de-vie/faq, see in particular "Y a-t-il des ruptures de séries dans la chronologie de l'enquête SILC ?" (consulted on 19/11/2021)

  • Statbel (2022), Risk of poverty or social exclusion - SILC-indicators 2019-2021, https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/documents/Huishoudens/10.7%20Inkomen%20en%20levensomstandigheden/10.7.1%20Armoederisico/Publication_Silc_STATBEL_ENG.xlsx (consulted on 15/06/2022).

More information is available in French and Dutch.