Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium

Belgium: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 8.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
8.3%
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
100th
of 130 countries
All-time high
10.5%
in 2015
All-time low
5.8%
in 1985
Years of data
27
1985–2023

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium, 1985–2023

02.557.5101985200420231985: 5.81988: 6.71992: 71995: 8.31997: 7.82000: 72003: 9.32004: 9.12005: 8.52006: 9.12007: 9.12008: 8.82009: 9.42010: 9.62011: 10.22012: 9.12013: 10.12014: 9.72015: 10.52016: 10.32017: 9.92018: 9.62019: 8.62020: 7.92021: 8.12022: 7.62023: 8.3

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2023, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium stood at 8.3%.

That represents a change of up 9.2% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium peaked at 10.5% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1985.

That places Belgium 100th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) in Belgium, 1985 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1985 5.8%
1988 6.7% +15.5%
1992 7.0% +4.5%
1995 8.3% +18.6%
1997 7.8% -6.0%
2000 7.0% -10.3%
2003 9.3% +32.9%
2004 9.1% -2.2%
2005 8.5% -6.6%
2006 9.1% +7.1%
2007 9.1% +0.0%
2008 8.8% -3.3%
2009 9.4% +6.8%
2010 9.6% +2.1%
2011 10.2% +6.2%
2012 9.1% -10.8%
2013 10.1% +11.0%
2014 9.7% -4.0%
2015 10.5% +8.2%
2016 10.3% -1.9%
2017 9.9% -3.9%
2018 9.6% -3.0%
2019 8.6% -10.4%
2020 7.9% -8.1%
2021 8.1% +2.5%
2022 7.6% -6.2%
2023 8.3% +9.2%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 8.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 71% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 8.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 75% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.2% 5.8% 6.7% 2
1990s 7.7% 7.0% 8.3% 3
2000s 8.8% 7.0% 9.4% 8
2010s 9.8% 8.6% 10.5% 10
2020s 8.0% 7.6% 8.3% 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 97 Bhutan 8.8% compare
  2. 97 Poland 8.8% compare
  3. 99 Estonia 8.7% compare
  4. 101 Lao People's Democratic Republic 8.1% compare
  5. 101 Rwanda 8.1% compare
  6. 101 Lao People's Democratic Republic 8.1% compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More infrastructure data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium?
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium was 8.3% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2015.
What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1985.
How does Belgium rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Belgium ranks 100th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed