Brussels residents lead Belgium in sharing economy
Residents of Brussels are twice as inclined to take part in the sharing economy – borrowing and lending instead of buying – than the rest of Belgium
Borrow and lend
Also known as “collaborative consumption”, the share economy is a movement that is gaining momentum around the world as a response to the global financial crisis and over-consumption. Residents share goods and services with each other, often connecting through social media sites. If you need a ladder, for instance, but not regularly, you find someone with a ladder to lend rather than buying one.
While the concept of a share economy is still relatively unknown in Belgium (three-quarters of respondents said they have never heard of it), the average Brussels resident is more likely to take part in it, with just over 16% reporting that they now and then share goods and services, compared with 8.5% of all Belgians.
The survey also revealed that Brussels residents are more likely to support flat- and ride-share providers like Airbnb and Uber. Most of the Brussels residents also indicated that they would do more sharing in the coming year.
“The city is home to a young and highly educated population of people who are generally more inclined to share goods,” economist Anthony Baert of ING Belgium told brusselnieuws.be. This is also a group, he said, that tends to trust other people more readily so that they are more inclined to share with others. “But they are also more likely to have a smartphone, which is required for many sharing apps.”
