Spending patterns among retirees show the highest expenses typically occur in the early years of retirement, with a greater allocation towards leisure and travel. This is followed by a phase focused on household needs and everyday comforts, before an increase in healthcare-related costs.
According to a report by Belfius, the funds to cover the gap between actual expenses and statutory pension benefits often come from supplementary income sources such as group insurance, savings, or investments.
La fin de l’indexation intégrale des pensions pour un retraité sur deux
The study details that the supplementary demand relative to the legal pension decreases by half after age 75 and continues to decline year after year. By around age 95, expenses are nearly equivalent to the amount of the statutory pension.
Significant disparities were also observed across different provinces. Retirees in Hainaut, for example, spend approximately 21% more than their statutory pension, contrasting with higher figures in Walloon Brabant. Belfius analysts suggest this “reveals a more modest consumption pattern and a greater reliance on pension income.”
