PensionStat.be Study Day 10/02/2026

What PensionStat.be can teach us about pensions both today and tomorrow 

The study day brought together researchers, policymakers and experts. We looked at the Belgian pension system together, on the basis of up-to-date statistics.

During the study day, the latest insights were shared on four red-hot topics:

• gender pension gap;
• modernisation of the household dimension;
• retirement behaviour in Belgium;
• generalisation of supplementary pensions.

Throughout the day, studies based on the in-house material from PensionStatay11.link.new_window.be were complemented by innovative insights and critical interventions from academics and professionals in the field of pensions.

Key points:

• The gender pension gap among new retirees fell slightly between 2019 and 2023 from 24% to 21%. It is still larger for supplementary pensions (53%) than for the statutory pension (17%).
• The household dimension is evolving but is still important among recent retirees. In 2024, 36% of pensioners received a derived entitlement (family, divorce, survivor’s or transitional pension). Survivor's pensions are increasingly being combined with the individual’s own retirement pension. The number of pensioners with household pensions is decreasing, while divorcee pensions are gaining importance among both women and men.
• Early retirement is the dominant choice when it is available: 80% of pensioners are allowed to retire early – and 70% actually do so.
• There is still a long way to go before everyone has an equal supplementary pension. The second pensions pillar is still unevenly distributed: One in three employees do not accrue a supplementary pension at all, while 46% of employees who do have a supplementary pension have contributions below the target level of 3% of gross pay

A full overview of the studies and presentations can be found on the events page of PensionStat.beay11.link.new_window.