More than 8 in 10 parents in large families in Belgium find it difficult or very difficult to work full time, according to a survey by the Ligue des familles.
The study, based on responses from 2,062 families with at least three children, also found major pressures linked to housing, education and household finances.
The online survey was carried out between 27 April and 1 June 2026 in partnership with the Walloon Housing Fund for Large Families. It was open to parents and step-parents of at least three children aged up to 25 who live under their roof at least part of the time.
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Balancing work and family life weighs more heavily on women, the survey found. Some 59% said they had reduced their working hours after the arrival of a third child, compared with 34% of men.
Family benefits are also seen as vital to keeping household budgets afloat. Overall, 92% of respondents said the payments were important to their financial balance, including 68% who described them as absolutely essential.
Housing is another major concern. Some 65% of families said they struggled to find a new home, while 41% had difficulties over the past year paying rent, mortgage costs or household charges.
Nearly a third, or 31%, of parents with three or more children said they did not have a parents’ bedroom.
School-related costs also place many households under strain. Seven in 10 families said they had already faced financial difficulties at the start of the school year, rising to 82% among single-parent families.
Only 21% said they believed they could fund higher education for all their children without additional support.
Daily travel is another source of pressure. Some 64% of parents in large families said organising everyday journeys was complicated.
Large families make an average of 12 trips each week between home and school or nursery, rising to 14 in blended families, as well as nine trips to extracurricular activities.
The survey also found that 43% do not go on holiday every year, while 51% said they had already experienced prejudice or judgement because of their family situation.
In response, the Ligue des familles urged public authorities to adapt support policies more closely to family size. It called for family benefits to be maintained at their current level, stronger parental leave, more large social housing units, and more measures to support home ownership and renovation.
The association also called for a wider extension of free schooling, the return of a large-family rail discount on Belgium’s national railway operator SNCB, and stronger action to reduce inequalities between women and men in childcare responsibilities.
