A recent study has found that Belgium is doing better than the average EU Member State when it comes to alleviating poverty and social exclusion.
The study, which was conducted by Eurostat, the EU's official statistics office, found that 18.7% of the Belgian population are either poor, financially insecure, or in some way materially or socially deprived in 2022.
By contrast, 21.6% of the wider EU population are at risk of poverty or social exclusion: a figure that has remained more-or-less stable since 2021 (when it was 22%).
Romania was found to be the country where most people were materially or socially deprived (34.4%), followed by Bulgaria (32.2%) and Greece (26.3%).
Credit: Eurostat
By contrast, the Czech Republic registered the lowest poverty risk rate (11.8%). Slovenia (13.3%) and Poland (15.9%) posted the second and third-lowest rates respectively.
Social deprivation
Despite Belgium's better-than-average performance, there is little doubt that many of the country's citizens are still currently enduring severe financial hardship.
One study published earlier this year found that 13.2% of Belgium's population – or 1,517,000 people – live in households with a total disposable income lower than the official poverty line, which is currently set at €1,366 per month for a single person and €2,868 for a family with two adults and two children.
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Furthermore, 11.5% of the population (1,020,000) live in households experiencing low work intensity, while 5.8% of Belgians (663,000) are currently enduring severe material and social deprivation.
It is also highly plausible that many Belgians' financial predicament will worsen considerably over the coming year, as soaring inflation and high energy prices continue to inflict pain on Belgium's citizenry and lay waste to the country's industrial base.
