In total, 21.6 percent of the Belgian population has insufficient financial resources to afford one week’s holiday, which amounts to 2,495,000 people. This is evident from the first results of the survey into incomes and living conditions in 2023. The Belgian statistical office (Statbel) asked 6,400 families about their financial options.
About one in five Belgians did not have a budget to finance a one-week holiday in 2023. In the Brussels Capital Region (36.4 percent) and the Walloon Region (31.5 percent) this concerns about a third of the population, in Flanders about 13.5 percent. The most affected population groups are the unemployed (46.5 percent), renters (46 percent), members of single-parent families (44.7 percent) and the low-skilled (40.4 percent).
An unexpected expense of 1,300 euros is also a problem for 21.5 percent of Belgians, again almost 2.5 million compatriots. The problem again mainly occurs in Brussels (38.3 percent) and Wallonia (32.6 percent), and less in Flanders (12.3 percent). “About half of renters (51.9 percent), the unemployed (50.5 percent) and members of single-parent families (49.8 percent) do not have this financial buffer,” it said.
Statbel surveyed thirteen types of unexpected expenses (including properly heating your home, affording your own car, regularly participating in leisure activities, replacing worn-out clothing with new ones or having access to the internet). Anyone who cannot afford five of those aspects is materially and socially deprived. Anyone who cannot afford seven of these aspects is seriously materially and socially deprived. In 2023, 10.4 percent and 6.1 percent of the population respectively were in that situation.
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