Wealth Gap in Belgium: Stark Regional Disparities Persist Despite Modest Improvement
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Recent data from Belgium’s statistical office, Statbel, reveals a nuanced picture of wealth distribution across the country, highlighting significant disparities between municipalities.
While the wealth gap has slightly narrowed in recent years, the median income in Belgium’s poorest commune remains less than half of that in the wealthiest.
Wealthiest Municipalities
Statbel’s analysis of administrative equivalent disposable incomes identifies the following wealthiest communes:
Province of Luxembourg:
Attert (€42,211) – highest median income in Belgium.
Messancy (€37,226).
Etalle (€34,978).
Saint-Léger (€34,924).
Arlon (€34,822).
Habay (€34,120).
Province of Flemish Brabant:
Kraainem (€36,531).
Tervuren (€34,814).
Wezembeek-Oppem (€34,702).
Brussels-Capital Region:
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (€34,690).
Poorest Municipalities
The following municipalities have the lowest median incomes:
Brussels-Capital Region:
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (€19,288) – lowest median income in Belgium.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (€19,739).
Anderlecht (€20,512).
Koekelberg (€21,141).
Schaerbeek (€21,726).
City of Brussels (€21,862).
Wallonia (specific communes not named in detail in the data).
Poverty Risk
The risk of poverty, defined as earning less than 60% of the national median disposable income (€16,458 in 2022), is concentrated in Brussels:
Highest Poverty Risk (Brussels-Capital Region):
Saint-Josse-ten-Noode: 34% of residents.
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean: 31.5%.
Anderlecht: 28.2%.
Schaerbeek: 26.8%.
Koekelberg: 26.7%.
Lowest Poverty Risk (Flanders):
Holsbeek and Zemst (Flemish Brabant): 3.4% each.
88 municipalities across Belgium have a poverty risk of less than 5%, primarily in Flanders.
In Flanders, municipalities like Holsbeek and Zemst report poverty risk levels as low as 3.4%. Across Belgium, 88 municipalities boast poverty rates below 5%, with all provinces represented except Walloon-Brabant and Brussels.
Statbel’s use of administrative equivalent disposable income provides a comprehensive view of household wealth by factoring in all income sources and adjusting for household composition. However, other measures, such as net taxable income from tax returns, emphasize different trends, often placing Flemish municipalities at the top.
Despite a modest improvement in wealth distribution, regional disparities in Belgium remain pronounced. Municipalities in Luxembourg province and Flemish Brabant continue to outperform others, while Brussels faces persistent challenges with income inequality and poverty risk. The findings underscore the need for targeted economic and social policies to address these enduring divides.
