Belgian women earn substantially lower pensions than men despite retiring more than a year later on average, a recent study has found.
According to a report published on Saturday by the Institute for Sustainable Development (l'Institut pour un Développement Durable; IDD), the average Belgian woman receives her first pension payment at the age of 64.6 – 1.2 years later than the typical Belgian man.
Women's pensions were also found to be "systematically lower" than men's, with the average female pensioner receiving just 79% as much as her male counterpart. The study attributed this discrepancy to "career inequalities" as well as greater female labour market inactivity prior to retirement.
Self-employed women were especially affected, with the average self-employed woman earning a pension of just €956 per month, not even two-thirds that of the typical self-employed man (€1,442).
In addition, a woman who worked as both a civil servant and a self-employed professional at some point in her life can expect a monthly pension of €2,998, while her male counterpart can anticipate almost 20% more (€3,679).
Phased retirement
As well as noting major gender inequalities, the study found that many Belgians go through a period of semi-employment prior to full retirement: a process which provides a significant benefit to the country's economy.
In particular, the study observed that only 40% of Belgians who began receiving their pension in 2020 immediately became completely inactive in the labour market.
"We must avoid thinking in black or white," Philippe Defeyt, the author of the IDD study, told l'Echo. The economist drew attention to the fact that 49,300 Belgians who began receiving their pension before the age of 65 in 2021 remain at least partially employed.
Moreover, he noted that 135,000 pensioners over the age of 65 are still working in Belgium, albeit in a "very reduced" capacity.
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In total, the study found that 185,000 pensioners are currently employed in Belgium, a number which corresponds to roughly 3.6% of the country's working population.
Other key findings of the IDD report include the fact that a majority (53.4%) of Belgians now begin earning their pension over the age of 65: substantially more than previously estimated. Moreover, only 12.2% of citizens start receiving their pension before the age of 61.
