In Belgium, 50% of household assets are made up of real estate assets, a rate lower than the euro zone average (59%).
The rate of the new one-year government bond set at 2.20%
If Belgian households are among the richest in Europe, wealth is however distributed unevenly in Belgium, indicates the BNB. In this area, Belgium is average. For example, inequalities are a little more marked in France, a little less in the Netherlands. Austria is the country with the highest rate of inequality, the lowest being in Malta.
It is women, young people, poorly educated people, those with low-skilled jobs, households headed by a single adult, single mothers, low-income individuals and those who do not own their home who are on average less well off than other groups. Consequently, individuals who combine several of these characteristics are particularly vulnerable in our society, points out the National Bank.
“If it ranks well in terms of average wealth, Belgium occupies an intermediate position in terms of wealth inequality. The overall picture, however, obscures vulnerabilities affecting certain specific groups of the population,” concludes the study. “To the extent that homeownership has a significant effect on reducing wealth inequality, the analysis provides arguments in favor of housing policies that facilitate homeownership by less well-off households.”
