Belgium – Health Overview

Coordinated by the European Institute of Women’s Health

Map of Belgium
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.

– Research completed by Kristin Semancik

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