In 2017, 18.5% of the population in Belgium lived in a dwelling with a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundations, or with rot in the window frames or the floor. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must decrease. This objective will not be reached by continuing the trend since 2003. The proportion of people living in inadequate dwelling conditions is therefore developing unfavourably.
Inadequate dwelling - Belgium and international comparison
percentage of total population
| 2003 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017//2003 | 2017//2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 13.7 | 15.0 | 19.0 | 18.7 | 18.2 | 19.3 | 18.5 | 2.2 | -0.2 |
| EU28 | -- | -- | 16.1 | 15.1 | 15.2 | 15.4 | -- | -- | -- |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||
break in time series: 2009 BE, estimate: 2017 EU28
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2018), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_mdho01, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 17/10/2018).
Inadequate dwelling by sex - Belgium
percentage of population
| 2003 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017//2003 | 2017//2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| females | 14.4 | 15.4 | 19.2 | 18.8 | 18.2 | 19.6 | 18.7 | 1.9 | -0.1 |
| males | 12.9 | 14.6 | 18.7 | 18.5 | 18.2 | 18.9 | 18.4 | 2.6 | -0.1 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||
break in time series: 2009
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2018), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_mdho01, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 17/10/2018).
Inadequate dwelling by age - Belgium
percentage of population
| 2003 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017//2003 | 2017//2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <18 | 15.4 | 18.4 | 23.0 | 21.6 | 22.0 | 22.5 | 22.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| 18-64 | 13.9 | 14.7 | 19.0 | 19.2 | 18.6 | 19.9 | 19.6 | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| >64 | 10.4 | 11.5 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 12.4 | 13.5 | 11.2 | 0.5 | -2.9 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||
break in time series: 2009
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2018), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_mdho01, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 17/10/2018).
Inadequate dwelling by household type - Belgium
percentage of population
| 2003 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017//2003 | 2017//2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| single person | 15.2 | 16.4 | 19.8 | 19.9 | 18.4 | 19.6 | 18.4 | 1.4 | -1.6 |
| single person with dependent children | 22.6 | 28.8 | 32.4 | 32.1 | 29.1 | 28.8 | 24.8 | 0.7 | -5.0 |
| two adults | 12.7 | 10.6 | 13.8 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 16.3 | 14.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| two adults with one dependent child | 13.1 | 13.7 | 20.7 | 15.2 | 14.2 | 15.6 | 17.6 | 2.1 | 3.0 |
| two adults with two dependent children | 12.1 | 11.6 | 15.7 | 17.3 | 18.4 | 16.5 | 16.3 | 2.2 | -1.2 |
| two adults with three or more dependent children | 16.4 | 20.2 | 21.4 | 20.9 | 24.0 | 24.1 | 25.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||
break in time series: 2009
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2018), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_mdho01, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 17/10/2018).
Inadequate dwelling by income - Belgium
percentage of population
| 2003 | 2005 | 2010 | 2012 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2017//2003 | 2017//2012 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| below 60% of median equivalised income | 19.7 | 25.1 | 30.2 | 27.2 | 30.9 | 30.4 | 27.7 | 2.5 | 0.4 |
| above 60% of median equivalised income | 12.6 | 13.3 | 17.0 | 17.1 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.8 | 2.1 | -0.4 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||
break in time series: 2009
Statistics Belgium; Eurostat (2018), European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), ilc_mdho01, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 17/10/2018).
Definition: the share of the population living in a dwelling with a leaking roof, damp walls, floors or foundations, or rot in the window frames or the floor. The data are based on the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) survey. Statbel organises this EU-harmonised survey in Belgium and makes the results available, in particular to Eurostat. 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 must be taken into account. The confidence intervals are available on request from Statbel.
Goal: the share of the population living in inadequate dwellings must decrease.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 11.1: “By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums”.
The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development includes the following objective: “The preconditions for the well-being of citizens will be met, i.e. [...] decent housing” (introduction of the challenge A society promoting social cohesion; Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).
International comparison: In 2016, the share of the population living in inadequate dwellings (19.3%) is higher in Belgium than in the EU28 (15.4%). The difference between the EU28 and Belgium increases from 2.9 to 3.9 percentage points between 2010 and 2016. When Member States are divided into three groups, Belgium is part of the group with the poorest performance in 2016.
UN indicator: the selected indicator corresponds to indicator 11.1.1 - Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing.
Sources
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 Knowledge Platform: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ (consulted on 26/04/2019).
More information is available in FR (French) and NL (Dutch).
At www.indicators.be the Federal Planning Bureau presents sustainable development indicators.
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