Housing costs are taking up an ever-larger share of the budgets of Brussels householders. Lower-income households are particularly hard hit, a new analysis from the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (BISA), based on the Belgian Statistics Office’s 2024 Household Budget Survey, reveals. The figures show that Brussels households spend an average of 34.6 per cent of their budget on housing. This proportion is significantly higher than in Flanders or Wallonia. These housing costs include rent, maintenance costs, water and energy bills, and minor repairs.
Households on lower or limited incomes are particularly hard hit by rising housing costs. In Brussels, the 25 per cent of households with the lowest incomes spend an average of 43.8 per cent of their budget on housing. In Flanders and Wallonia, the figures are 37.8 and 37.3 per cent respectively.
As income rises, the proportion of housing costs falls. For higher incomes, the proportion of housing costs is lower, although the pressure remains considerable even there. In Brussels, the top 25 per cent of earners still spend an average of 29.3 per cent of their budget on housing.
Housing crisis not resolved
According to BISA, in recent years, house prices and rents have risen faster than the general cost of living. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for more and more people in Brussels to find affordable housing or to make ends meet.
The Household Budget Survey is conducted by Statbel, the Belgian Statistics Office, every two years. For the 2024 edition, 651 Brussels households were surveyed, alongside nearly 3,000 in Flanders and over 2,000 in Wallonia.