The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium
Belgium: The share and number of people living in extreme poverty was 0.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium, 1985–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 0.1% for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in 2023.
The figure is up 324.9% on the previous year and down 39.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium peaked at 0.9% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2022.
That places Belgium 104th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.3% | — |
| 1988 | 0.7% | +133.3% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +28.6% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | -33.3% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | -33.3% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | +31.1% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -86.8% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +385.6% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -23.9% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -30.5% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | +20.4% |
| 2011 | 0.2% | +29.6% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -16.0% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -47.1% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +79.3% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -56.4% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | +192.5% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -48.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +19.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -19.7% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | -57.4% |
| 2022 | 0.0% | -44.1% |
| 2023 | 0.1% | +324.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 101 Republic of Korea 0.1% compare
- 101 Taiwan, China 0.1% compare
- 103 Netherlands 0.1% compare
- 105 Luxembourg 0.1% compare
- 106 Ireland 0.1% compare
- 107 Iceland 0.1% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Belgium
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.38 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,486 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 42.58 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 42.6% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium?
- The share and number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium was 0.1% in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 1992.
- What is the lowest the share and number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2022.
- How does Belgium rank for the share and number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Belgium ranks 104th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is the share and number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of The share and number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.