Majority of Belgians continue to support charities, survey shows
Six out of ten Belgians made a donation to a charity in 2025, according to the latest philanthropy barometer published by the King Baudouin Foundation on Thursday. This represents an increase of four percentage points compared with 2022, although the change is too small to be considered statistically significant.
Donations are most commonly made by Dutch-speaking, highly educated individuals aged 35 and over, typically for amounts of up to 250 euros. More than six in ten respondents say they support charities on a long-term basis, while fewer than four in ten donate primarily in response to disasters.
Health and medical research attracts the most support, cited by 64 per cent of donors. This is followed by humanitarian and development aid at 53 per cent, and poverty alleviation and social justice at 46 per cent.
Reduced tax incentive
Donations above 40 euros used to be 45 per cent tax deductible. But as part of a series of austerity measures, the federal government has recently decided to reduce this incentive to 30 per cent, starting from January 2025. The effect of this change will only be confirmed once the FPS Finance releases tax data for that year.
The survey, however, shows that most donors do not give for financial reasons. A large majority of respondents, 78 per cent, believe that charitable giving contributes to a better world. At the same time, 75 per cent consider donations to be even more important in light of current events. Just under half, 44 per cent, view giving as a moral duty.
The philanthropy barometer, published every three years, combines data from the National Bank of Belgium, the Federal Public Service Economy and FPS Finance with a survey of 1,000 Belgians.
The closing ceremony of the 2025 'Televie' charity event in Wallonia. © BELGA PHOTO NATACHA FREISEN
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