Wallonia’s long-term sickness rates rising far faster than Flanders, says De Tijd

Wallonia is seeing a much faster rise in long-term sickness than Flanders, as reported by Belgian newspaper De Tijd. New figures show that nearly 10 per cent of working-age people in French-speaking Belgium were receiving invalidity benefits in 2023, compared with 7.3 per cent in Flanders.

The biggest increases were recorded in the provinces of Hainaut and Liège. In Hainaut, almost 12 per cent of working-age residents were classed as long-term sick. In some poorer towns, including Colfontaine, Quaregnon and Dour, the figure has reached 15 per cent or more.

The data, analysed by De Tijd from Belgium’s Intermutualistic Agency (IMA), suggests the gap between north and south has widened steadily over the past 20 years. Across Belgium as a whole, the share of working-age people receiving invalidity payments has risen from 3.7 per cent in 2005 to 8.1 per cent today.

Pedro Facon, head of Belgium’s National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV), recently told parliament there are major regional differences in how long-term sickness cases are assessed. He said there are signs that some medical advisers may take local economic conditions into account when deciding whether someone is fit for work.

Experts say several factors may explain the divide, including unemployment, poverty and weaker job markets in parts of Wallonia and Brussels. Research has also shown a strong link between long-term sickness and socio-economic vulnerability.

According to figures from KU Leuven’s Steunpunt Werk, people entering invalidity in Wallonia are more often unemployed or economically inactive before becoming long-term sick, while in Flanders they are more likely to have been in work beforehand.

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