1. The report on the state of poverty in Brussels

The content of the Brussels report was set by order. The Health and Social Observatory is responsible for drafting the report.

In 1991, the Joint Assembly of the Joint Community Commission (the Brussels Parliament) decided to produce annual reports on the state of poverty in the Brussels-Capital Region. The order of  11 July 1991 was replaced by the order of 8 June 2000, which in turn was replaced by the order of 20 July 2006 (in French or Dutch).

According to the terms of this final order, a report on the state of poverty must be published every two years and divided into five sections.

We can illustrate this by the following diagram (in French or Dutch).

1. An annual “Social Barometer” with basic data on the socio-economic situation of the population and poverty indicators.
2. A thematic report focusing on an issue chosen by the Joint College. This section should be drafted in collaboration with associations for people living in poverty.
3. Contributions on the issue of poverty characteristics and the fight against poverty, drafted by Brussels-based observatories and reference centres, and where necessary by federations of centres and services. (included with each thematic report).
4. A Brussels poverty-reduction action plan.
5. The setting up of a round table to deal with all sections of the report, with a particular focus on issues highlighted by the Joint College.

State of poverty reports published by the Observatory since 1999 can be consulted on this website.

2. Thematic reports

Thematic reports present information about poverty from different angles: Exploratory research on the development of a Poverty Impact Assessment in the Brussels Region  -  Living at home after the age of 65. Atlas of Needs and Actors in Brussels - Social and Health Atlas - Assessment of the participation of those living in poverty to the Brussels report on the state of poverty - Challenges for a poverty-reduction policy - Poverty and disadvantaged districts in the Brussels-Capital Region.

3. Poverty indicators

You will find a series of key poverty indicators on this website, updated annually.

4. Municipality files: health and social statistics in the Brussels-Capital Region

Municipality files assemble the principal social and health data available at municipality level. The aim is to provide local actors and decision-makers with a simple tool clarifying certain features of the population with which they work and helping to guide their strategies.

These files complement the following documents: Brussels-Capital Region Health Profile, Report on the State of Poverty in the Brussels-Capital Region and the Brussels-Capital Social and Health Atlas.

The last edition of the Municipality profiles have been published in 2010.