Healthier and happier: Regional indicators give a snapshot of life in Flanders

Those are some of the conclusions of the Flemish Regional Indicators, an annual set of data published by the Flemish government’s research department. The publication was described by minister-president Geert Bourgeois as “a snapshot of the general landscape in which the Flemish government carries out its work, which gathers information over developments at social, economic and environmental levels”.

Concern in the past year has grown over war and ethnic conflict in the world. Drug use and lack of safety on the streets, however, are no longer considered a serious social problem, though a decade ago they were named as one of the public’s top five concerns. 

Flanders is among the best performers in Europe on poverty, where it has the second-lowest rate after the Czech Republic; the third-lowest unemployment rate; a fall in the numbers leaving school without a diploma and an increase in the numbers passing through tertiary education. Women are now more highly educated than men, and the pay gap has fallen from 19% in 2000 to 7.5% in 2014.

On the economy, 2015 saw a record year for inward foreign investment, with 227 projects worth €2.7 billion and 4,352 jobs. Exports grew slightly, but the number of exporting companies did not. Flanders also holds a top position in Europe for innovation in the private sector. The region’s GDP in 2014 was 19% higher than the average in the EU. That year, 2.46% of GDP was devoted to research and development, slightly short of the government’s target of 3%.

In terms of the environment, Flanders recycles 36% of household waste, with another 27% composted. The remaining 63% is incinerated, in some cases with energy recovery. The impact of fine particles on health went down by 29.7% compared to in 2000, and greenhouse gas emissions also fell.

Photo: Joost Joossen/Visit Flanders