Number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium
Belgium: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 10,237 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
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 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium is 10,237 people, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 328.5% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium peaked at 90,406 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 2,389 people, in 2022.
That places Belgium 99th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 49,444 people | 29,575 people | 69,312 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 63,984 people | 40,725 people | 90,406 people | 3 |
| 2000s | 20,907 people | 5,421 people | 40,807 people | 8 |
| 2010s | 14,430 people | 6,778 people | 20,321 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,691 people | 2,389 people | 10,237 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More poverty & inequality data for Belgium
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (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)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 42.6% (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.031 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 20.6% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.0781 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.0781 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.0919 (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.1132 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Belgium was 10,237 people in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 90,406 people in 1992.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,389 people in 2022.
- How does Belgium rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Belgium ranks 99th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.5%. 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 Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.