Pessimism about the Belgian economy has risen sharply over the past year, according to the annual De Stemming survey. Around one in four Belgians say they cannot afford a car or an annual holiday, while one in 10 say they cannot afford proper heating.
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Pessimism about economy grows: 1 in 4 cannot afford car or holiday
Pessimism about the state of the economy was already high last year, but this year’s De Stemming survey shows that this sense of crisis has intensified. In all regions, a majority say that the Belgian economy has deteriorated over the past year.
In Flanders (64 per cent) and Brussels (69 per cent), this applies to around two-thirds of people, while in Wallonia it applies to three-quarters. The increase is greatest in Brussels and Wallonia, but in Flanders too there is a significant rise for the second year.
People are worried about their own finances, but also about those of the state
“Pessimism has increased in all regions,” the report states. “It was already present in 2025, but it is even more pronounced in 2026. There is therefore a strong sense of crisis.” Where does this sense of crisis come from? Professor Stefaan Walgrave of UAntwerp, who co-led the research, sees two possible explanations.
“First, there is a feeling that we have no control over prices – particularly energy prices – due to international turbulence. And second, there is a feeling that the government can no longer protect us from these shocks. Because we need to make savings, says the government. We can no longer spend money on a massive scale, as we did during the coronavirus crisis.”
De Stemming gauges the political preferences and social concerns of people in Belgium. It is an annual survey commissioned by VRT NWS, De Standaard and RTBF, and carried out by the University of Antwerp and the Université Libre de Bruxelles. It was conducted in March 2026, just after the US launched an offensive against Iran.
There is a feeling that we have no control over prices – particularly energy prices – due to international turbulence
We also see this concern about the economy reflected in the answers to the question: “What is the biggest problem our country is currently facing?”
One in five gave an answer relating to the state of the economy, primarily purchasing power and the cost of living. Many people are worried about the budget and finances. “So people are worried about their own finances, but also about those of the state,” says Walgrave.
The main problem in 2025 – political representation – ranks second this year. The top issue in 2024 – migration – ranks fourth.
The priorities reveal clear regional differences. In Flanders, people are less concerned about the state of the economy. While this issue ranks in first place in Brussels (26 per cent) and Wallonia (29 per cent), it comes in fourth place in Flanders (13 per cent).
According to Walgrave, these regional differences are due to the income gap between Flanders and the rest of the country. 17 per cent of Flemish people say they cannot make ends meet on their wages, while that figure is almost twice as high in Brussels and Wallonia, at 31 per cent.
The number of people in Brussels who say they cannot make ends meet has risen sharply. This is despite the fact that the figure is falling in Flanders and Wallonia.
For the first time, the researchers surveyed what households can and cannot afford. Respondents were given a list of expenses and asked to indicate which items they cannot afford.
At the top of the list of things that many can no longer afford is a car (26 per cent), followed by unexpected costs (23 per cent) and an annual holiday (22 per cent). Around 1 in 10 say they do not have the money to heat their home properly or to pay their bills. Again, the figures in Brussels and Wallonia are significantly higher than in Flanders.
