FLANDERS | 1 in 6 experience daily difficulties due to disability or impairment
A new report by Statistics Flanders and the Flemish Agency for Persons with Disabilities (VAPH) provides a detailed overview of disability and impairment in Flanders, based on data from The Social Study (TSS), a large-scale scientific panel survey in Belgium. The report is the first in a planned series presenting results from question modules developed by Statistics Flanders to support policy-relevant research.
The findings are based on responses from 1,798 Flemish participants aged 16 and older who took part in the VO module of The Social Study. The survey uses a broad definition of disability, incorporating both functional and emotional aspects.
This inclusive approach is intended to capture groups that are often overlooked in traditional statistics, such as people with mild impairments or mental health difficulties that do not always translate into formal disability recognition.
16%
The study shows that 16 % of Flemish people experience daily difficulties due to a disability or impairment.
Most respondents in this group report a limited level of hindrance: 13 % experience some degree of difficulty, while 3 % report serious hindrance.
When the broader definition of disability is applied, around 17 % of the population can be classified as a person with a disability, highlighting the difference between formal disability classifications and lived experience.
Education levels
Clear socio-economic inequalities emerge from the results. People with lower levels of education and those who report lower subjective income are more likely to experience disability-related hindrance and to report more severe difficulties. This pattern confirms that disability and impairment are closely linked to broader social and economic vulnerability.
The report also reveals a striking generational divide. Physical impairments, such as difficulties with mobility or vision, become more common with age, reflecting the cumulative effects of ageing and health conditions.
Emotional and psychological difficulties, however, show the opposite pattern: younger people are more likely to report frequent negative emotions. In the survey, 42 % of respondents reported feeling anxious or nervous weekly or more often, and 16 % reported feeling depressed on a weekly basis or more frequently. These findings suggest that mental and emotional well-being is a significant issue among younger cohorts in Flanders.
Methodology: The Social Study panel
The Social Study is a probability-based panel developed by a consortium of Belgian universities. It consists of a representative sample of more than 5,000 randomly selected residents in Belgium aged 16 and older, including approximately 3,000 participants in Flanders and 2,000 in Wallonia.
Panel members are surveyed every six weeks, and since 2024 one annual question module has been developed by the Statistics Flanders network to address policy-relevant topics.
Participants were selected using a stratified two-stage cluster sampling design. In the first stage, municipalities or districts were selected as primary sampling units, followed by the selection of individuals within those areas.
Recruitment combined online invitations with targeted personal contact to ensure that harder-to-reach groups were included. Recruitment took place between 1 October 2023 and 15 December 2024, using 18,006 addresses across 1,000 sampling points. This resulted in 6,938 interviews and 5,844 recruited respondents, of whom 5,274 completed the core questionnaire and became full panel members.
The realised sample does not perfectly match the Belgian population in terms of region, age, sex, and educational level.
For example, highly educated individuals are overrepresented, while people with lower educational attainment are underrepresented. To correct for these biases, post-stratification weights are applied in each survey wave to ensure that the results reflect the actual population distribution by region, age, gender, and education.
Data access and future research
Data from The Social Study are made available through the SODHA archive for scientific research purposes, subject to a data-use agreement. Core survey data and recruitment data from more than 5,000 respondents are available, and thematic modules are published 12 months after data collection. This open-data approach aims to support academic research and evidence-based policymaking.
Overall, the 2026 report provides an important snapshot of disability and impairment in Flanders, highlighting both physical and emotional dimensions, socio-economic inequalities, and generational differences.
By using a broad definition of disability and a robust probability-based panel, the study offers a more comprehensive picture of everyday difficulties faced by a significant share of the population and lays the groundwork for future policy-relevant analyses.