Belgium's Pensions Minister Karine Lalieux has stressed that work must continue to tackle the pensions pay gap between men and women across the country, as latest research puts the gender pension pay gap in Belgium at 25%.
This means that female pensioners in Belgium are paid 25% less than men on average – just below the overall European average pension pay gap of 26%.
The research, published on Thursday by Belgium's Federal Planning Office, also ranked Belgium fourth in the EU in terms of how likely it is that women over 65 will not have their own pension, compared to their male counterparts.
The Planning Office explained that this is because for Belgian couples, family pension laws allow for one partner to receive an increased amount if the other partner gives up their right to a pension entirely.
While the law is gender neutral, in practice this means that the higher earner (usually male) retains their pension, and it is almost always the female partner who renounces her right.
Lalieux stated that the inequalities suffered by women when they reach retirement are the result of inequalities suffered during their careers and in their marital life choices. These "must be vigorously combatted," she underlined.
Pension gap shrinking across EU
The research found that, across the EU, there has been a steady decrease in the gender pension gap between 2010 to 2022. In some Member States, pension systems can help to further narrow the gap.
The Planning Office noted that certain pension setups have strong redistributive impacts, both between lower and higher wage earners, and those with shorter or longer careers. It said that these benefits in particular could be seen by implementing minimum and maximum pensions and equivalent periods.
"It is vital that we continue to promote equitable pension systems that address gender inequalities and offer equal opportunities to both men and women in Belgium," Lalieux commented.
She also called for reforms that prioritise solidarity among all workers, noting that countries are increasingly trying to cut public expenses by relying on private pension schemes – which are funded solely from yields from employer contributions, without state funding.
