Average annual income in Belgium 2006-2021, by region

From 2006 to 2021, income in Belgium varied on a regional scale. Firstly, the average annual income was higher in the Flemish region than in the rest of the country. Secondly, Wallonia had an average income higher than in the Brussels-Capital Region. Furthermore, from 2006 to 2021, the increase in income was higher in Flanders than in the other parts of Belgium. Indeed, Flanders’ annual income increased by roughly 7,000 euros over this period, whereas Wallonia faced an increase of 6,000 euros. Meanwhile, the Brussels-Capital Region registered an increase of 4,000 euros. In other words, not only did the annual income differ from one region to another, but regional inequalities were also deepening over time.

Further uneven distribution of income in Belgium?

On a European level, Belgium held the fifth position of the European Union countries with the highest annual salaries in 2017. During that year, the average annual income in Belgium reached 18,331 euros. However, income in Belgium varied by level of education, age, and, still to this day, gender. In spite of this, the average income is a major indicator of the level of development of a country and its population's general standard of living.

Average income: a measure with limits...

In 2018, whilst some Belgians possessed fortunes estimated in billions of euros, around 6 percent of households were not able to pay their bills in time. Ultimately, the average income does not provide insight into the gap between rich and poor in the country. This measure is calculated by dividing the country’s total income by its total population. According to a 2017 survey, a significant part of the Belgian respondents believed that the gap in wealth inequality was widening in the country.