Informal care represents more than 150,000 jobs in Belgium

About 860,000 people in Belgium take care of a dependent person on a daily basis. The hours they put into the informal care represent more than 150,000 full-time jobs, reports the Institute of Public Health (IPH). The institute warns that while this informal care may be “free”, it can have a considerable negative impact on the caregivers’ physical and mental health, reports VRT.

According to the National Health Survey of 2013, about 9% of the Belgian population (older than 15) requires daily care in as much as half of their daily activity, while 20% spends requires care for at least 20 hours per week. "All of those hours together represent more than 150,000 full-time jobs," says the IPH.

While informal care may be free of charge on a financial level, the IPH warns that there is a high price to pay on a health level, with caregivers more often reporting they feel "in poor health" than people who are not responsible for a dependent. "The more time spent on care, the higher the risk of health problems," according to the IPH.

The institute points out that the largest group of caregivers are women between the ages of 55 and 64 years (18%). On a regional basis, the highest percentage of caregivers is found in the Brussels-Capital region, with more than twice as many as in the Flemish or Walloon regions.