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CAUTION: The following links
and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the
situation in Belgium in the early years of the 21st Century. Some of
these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are
unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been
made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content. HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE Students If you are looking
for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this
page and others to see which aspects of poverty are of particular interest to
you. You might be interested in
exploring the relationship between distribution of labor and per-capita GDP,
for example. Perhaps your paper could
focus on life expectancy or infant mortality.
Other factors of interest might be unemployment, literacy, access to
basic services, etc. On the other
hand, you might choose to include some of the possible outgrowths of poverty
such as Human Trafficking,
Street Children,
or even Prostitution. There is a lot to the subject of
Poverty. Scan other countries as well
as this one. Draw comparisons between
activity in adjacent countries and/or regions. Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources
that are available on-line. Teachers Check out some of
the Resources
for Teachers attached to this website. *** Extreme Weather *** According
to a report by The Brussels Times, Belgium experienced deadly floods in July
2021, which caused 41 fatalities and billions of euros worth of damage1. The
floods were caused by unprecedented rainfall that affected large parts of the
country, especially in Wallonia and Limburg1. The floods were so severe that
they were considered one of the greatest natural disasters in Belgium’s
history. In
addition to the floods, Belgium has also experienced extreme heatwaves. In
2019, the country recorded its highest temperature ever at 41.8°C (107.2°F)3. In 2022, the town of Kleine Brogel recorded a temperature of 39.9°C (103.8°F), which
was the hottest temperature recorded since 1833. It is
important to note that climate change has been identified as a contributing
factor to the extreme weather conditions in Belgium. A study by scientists
found that global heating made rainfall events like the floods up to nine
times more likely in Western Europe.. – Microsoft BING Copilot *** ARCHIVES *** The World Factbook - Belgium U.S. Central Intelligence Agency CIA www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/be.html [accessed 10
November 2020] World Factbook
website has moved to ---> www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/belgium/ [accessed 5 January 2021] Belgium’s
GDP grew by 1.7% in 2017 and the budget deficit was 1.5% of GDP. Unemployment
stood at 7.3%, however the unemployment rate is lower in Flanders than
Wallonia, 4.4% compared to 9.4%, because of industrial differences between
the regions. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist
attacks that mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality
industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged
to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease
Belgium's high public debt of about 104% of GDP, but such efforts would also
dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage
growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in
private consumption. GDP -
per capita (PPP): $46,600 (2017
est.) Labor
force - by occupation: agriculture:
1.3% industry:
18.6% services: 80.1% (2013 est.) Unemployment
rate: 7.1% (2017
est.) Population
below poverty line: 15.1% (2013
est.) Maternal
mortality rate: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) Infant
mortality rate: total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births Life
expectancy at birth: total population: 81.4 years Drinking
water source: improved: total: 100% of population Physicians
density: 3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017) Sanitation
facility access: improved: total: 100% of population Electricity
access: electrification - total population: 100% (2016) The
Borgen Project - Belgium borgenproject.org/category/belgium/ [accessed 20 January 2021] The Borgen Project works with U.S. leaders to utilize the
United States’ platform behind efforts toward improving living conditions for
the world’s poor. It is an innovative,
national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign
policy. It believes that leaders of
the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global
poverty. From ending segregation to providing women with the right to vote,
nearly every wrong ever righted in history was achieved through advocacy. The
Borgen Project addresses the big picture, operating
at the political level advancing policies and programs that improve living
conditions for those living on less than $1 per day. ~
Top 10 Facts About Hunger In Belgium borgenproject.org/top-10-facts-about-hunger-in-belgium/ ~
5 Facts About Women’s Rights In Belgium borgenproject.org/womens-rights-in-belgium/ ~
An Examination Of Healthcare In Belgium borgenproject.org/healthcare-in-belgium/ ~
4 Facts About Homelessness In Belgium borgenproject.org/homelessness-in-belgium/ ~
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions In Belgium borgenproject.org/top-10-facts-about-living-conditions-in-belgium/ ~
Education In Belgium: A Model For The World borgenproject.org/education-in-belgium/ ~
Causes Of Poverty In Belgium borgenproject.org/causes-of-poverty-in-belgium/ ~
A Global Example: The Ever-Decreasing Poverty Rate In Belgium borgenproject.org/poverty-rate-in-belgium/ ~
Common Diseases In Belgium borgenproject.org/common-diseases-in-belgium/ ~
Water Quality In Belgium Key To Prosperity borgenproject.org/water-quality-in-belgium-prosperity/ The
World Bank in Belgium www.worldbank.org/en/country/belgium/overview [accessed 16 April 2021] A
founding member of the World Bank, Belgium supports international efforts to
fight poverty and promote human and sustainable economic development around
the world. Looking
back a few years … Advameg, Inc., Encyclopedia of the Nations www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Belgium-ECONOMY.html [accessed 14 December 2020] Belgium
has a highly skilled and productive workforce, and the economy is
diversified. By 2002, the service sector accounted for approximately 70% of
GDP, followed by manufacturing (25%) and agriculture (2%). A UN
study in 2002 listed Belgium as having the fourth-highest standard of living
in the world. All
material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107
for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use. PLEASE RESPECT
COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES. Cite this webpage as: Prof. Martin
Patt, "Poverty - Belgium", http://gvnet.com/poverty/Belgium.htm,
[accessed <date>] |
