Belgium – Health Overview
Coordinated by the European Institute of Women’s Health
Map of Belgium
BELGIUM – A HEALTH OVERVIEW
Demographic and Socio-Economic Trends
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
Total population (2007): 10,666,866
Female percentage of population (2007): 51.05%
Age distribution (2007):
| Ages 0-14 | 17.0% |
| Ages 15-24 | 12.1% |
| Ages 25-49 | 35.4% |
| Ages 50-64 | 18.5% |
| Ages 65-79 | 12.5% |
| Age 80 and older | 3.5% |
Percentage of population over ages 0-14 (1998) :
- Female: 16.94%
- Male: 18.56%
Percentage of population over age 65 (1998):
- Female: 19.18%
- Male: 13.64%
BASIC HEALTH
Life expectancy from birth (2006):
- 82.3years female
- 76.6 years male
Caesarean sections per 1000 live births (1999): 159.18
Maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births(2005): 8.0
Percentage using contraception (1992): 78.4%
EMPLOYMENT
Employment rate ages 15-64 (2007):
- Female: 55.3%
- Male: 68.7%
Female employment rate:
- 2007: 46.5%
- 1997: 55.3%
Unemployment rate ages 15-64 (2007):
- Female: 8.4%
- Male: 6.7%
Average gross annual earnings of full-time employees in an enterprise with ten or more employees (2005):
- Female: 32.714.5
- Male: 37.822.2
LIFESTYLE
Percentage of population completed at least upper secondary education (2007): 68%
Marriage rate (2007): 4.28 per 1000 people
Divorce rate (2007): 2.90 per 1000 people
Health Issues
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Deaths from stroke ages 0-64 (2001):
- – Female: 1887
- – Male: 483
CANCER
Cancer death rate per 100,000 (1998):
- – Female: 148.9
- – Male: 276.2
Cervical cancer rate per 100,000(1997):
- – Incidence: 9.77
- – Death: 3.36
Breast cancer rate per 100,000 (2004):
- – Incidence: 110.36
- – Death: 35.02
Women under 65 deaths from cancer (2001):
- – Stomach: 368
- – Colorectal: 392
- – Lung: 114
Age-standardized incidence rates of colorectal cancer per 100,000 (2006):
- Female: 34.3
- Male: 53.3
Age-standardized incidence rates of lung cancer per 100,000 (2006):
- Female: 22.9
- Male: 93.0
Age-standardized mortality rates of lung cancer per 100,000 (2006):
- Female: 14.24
- Male: 103.15
LIFESTYLE DISORDERS
Percentage binge drinking at least once a week: no data
Total alcohol consumption litres per capita(2003): 8.9
Number of cigarettes per person per year (2000): 1532.53
Percentage non-smokers (2003):
- female: 76.4%
- Male: 66.3%
Percentage daily smokers (2003):
- Female: 20.1%
- Male: 28.3%
Percentage overweight (1996):
- Female: 28%
- Male: 49%
Percentage obese (1997):
- Female: 13%
- Male: 14%
Low Energy Expenditure (2002):
- Female: 75.9%
- Male: 67.5%
MOBILITY DISORDERS
In progress
MENTAL HEALTH
In progress
SEXUAL HEALTH
In progress
CHRONIC DISABLING DISORDERS
In progress
HEALTHCARE
In progress
This resource has been compiled from a range of information to assist researchers by having a facility with all the necessary basic information in regard to health information in Europe and individual member countries.
This reseource has been assembled from information and data gathered from: Eurostat, WHO Europe Office and other sources.