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  Country by country: Extended data of Belgium

 

Food security : "The Committee affirms that the right to adequate food is indivisibly linked to the inherent dignity of the human person and is indispensable for the fulfilment of other human rights… The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement."

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment 12 on the Right to Adequate Food, 1999.

"We consider it intolerable that more than 800 million people throughout the world, and particularly in developing countries, do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs."

World Food Summit Plan of Action. Rome, 1996.

Source: The State of the World's Children 2008, UNICEF (www.unicef.org/sowc08/).

Undernourishment
(%)
Percentage of undernourished in the total population. Undernourishment is the result of food intake that is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. The World Health Organization recommended that the average person needs to take in a minimum of 2300 kcal per day to maintain body functions, health and normal activity. This global minimum requirement of calories is broken down into country-specific differentials that are a function of the age-specific structure and body mass of the population.

Last available data: 2002/2004; evolution since 1990-1992.

<2.5
Estimated low birth weight
(%)
Percentage of newborns weighing less than 2.500 grams, with measurement taken within the first hours of life, before significant postnatal weight loss has occurred. Due to changes in the methodology of the sources the construction of data series presents comparability problems.

Last available data: 1999/2006.

8*

 

Education : "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free… Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding [and] tolerance…"

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, 1948.

"To ensure that [by 2015] children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and that girls and boys will have equal access to all levels of education."

Millennium Declaration, Paragraph 19, 2000.

Source: UNESCO Website Database (www.uis.unesco.org/), May 2008.

Primary school enrolment rate
net (%)
Number of children enrolled in primary school who belong to the age group that officially corresponds to primary schooling, as percentage of the total population of the same age group.
Last available data: 2003/2006; evolution since 1991.
97.6
Secondary school enrolment rate
net (%)
Number of children enrolled in secondary school who belong to the agegroup that officially corresponds to secondary schooling, as percentage of the total population of the same age group.

Last available data: 2003/2005; evolution since 1991.
96.7*
Tertiary school enrolment rate
gross (%)
Ratio of total enrolment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Tertiary education, whether or not to an advanced research qualification, normally requires, as a minimum condition of admission, successful completion of education at secondary level.
Last available data: 2004/2006; evolution since 1991.
62.4

 

Information, science and technology : "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19, 1948.

"We recognize that education, knowledge, information and communication are at the core of human progress, endeavour and well-being… The rapid progress of these technologies opens completely new opportunities to attain higher levels of development."

World Summit on the Information Society, 2003.

Source: World Development Indicators 2008, World Bank (www.worldbank.org).

Internet users
per 1,000 people
People with access to the internet, per 1,000 people.

Last available data: 2001-2004; evolution since 1990.

458.07
Personal computers
per 1,000 people
Personal computers are self-contained computers designed to be used by a single individual, per 1,000 people.
Last available data: 2001-2005; evolution since 1990.
348.04
Telephone mainlines
per 1,000 people
Telephone lines connecting a customer’s equipment to the public switched telephone network. Data are presented per 1,000 people for the entire country.

Last available data: 2001-2005; evolution since 1990.

460.7
Scientists and engineers in research and development
per million people
People trained to work in any field of science who are engaged in professional R&D (research and development) activity, per million people. Most such jobs require completion of tertiary education.

Last available data: 2004; evolution since 1996.

3065.46
Information and communication technology expenditure
% of GDP
Includes external spending on information technology (‘tangible’ spending on information technology products purchased by businesses, households, governments, and education institutions from vendors or organizations outside the purchasing entity), internal spending on information technology (‘intangible’ spending on internally customized software, capital depreciation, and the like), and spending on telecommunications and other office equipment. Expressed as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).

Last available data: 2005; evolution since 2000.

5.92
Research and development expenditure
% of GDP
Expenditures for research and development are current and capital expenditures (both public and private) on creative work undertaken systematically to increase knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture, and society, and the use of knowledge for new applications. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. Expressed as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).

Last available data: 2000-2005; evolution since 1996.

1.9

 

Public expenditure : "Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 22, 1948.

"We call on the industrialized countries… to implement the enhanced programme of debt relief for the heavily indebted poor countries without further delay and to agree to cancel all official bilateral debts of those countries in return for their making demonstrable commitments to poverty reduction."

Millennium Declaration, Paragraph 15, 2000.

Source: World Development Indicators 2007 website (www.worldbank.org).

Public health expenditure
% of GDP (%)
Recurrent and capital spending from government (central and local) budgets, external borrowings and grants (including donations from international agencies and non-governmental organizations), and social (or compulsory) health insurance funds. Expressed as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
Last available data: 2001/2005; evolution since 2000.
6.9
Public education expenditure
% of GDP (%)
Public spending on public education plus subsidies to private education at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Expressed as percentage of gross domestic product (based on World Bank and OECD GDP estimates).
Last available data: 2001/2006; evolution since 1991.
6.11
Military expenditure
% of GDP (%)
(Based on the NATO definition) Includes all current and capital expenditures on the armed forces, including peacekeeping forces; defence ministries and other government agencies engaged in defence projects; paramilitary forces, if these are judged to be trained and equipped for military operations; and military space activities. Such expenditures include military and civil personnel, including retirement pensions of military personnel and social services for personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; military research and development; and military aid (in the military expenditures of the donor country). Excluded are civil defence and current expenditures for previous military activities, such as for veterans’ benefits, demobilization, conversion, and destruction of weapons. Expressed as percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
Last available data: 2000/2005; evolution since 1990.
1.24

 

Health : "(We) recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health… The provision for the reduction of the stillbirth-rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child… The prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases…"

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 12, 1966.

"…take specific measures for closing the gender gaps in morbidity and mortality where girls are disadvantaged, while achieving internationally approved goals for the reduction of infant and child mortality."

World Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action, Paragraph 106, 1995.

Source: Malaria: World Malaria Report 2005, UNICEF and WHO (www.rbm.who.int/wmr2005/).
Tuberculosis: Communicable Disease Global Atlas Database, WHO (www.who.int/GlobalAtlas).
People living with HIV/AIDS: 2007 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS.
Infant mortality: The State of the World’s Children 2007, UNICEF (www.unicef.org/sowc07).
Under-5 mortality: The State of the World’s Children 2007, UNICEF (www.unicef.org/sowc07).

Tuberculosis
cases per 100,000 people
Total number of tuberculosis cases reported to the World Health Organization per 100,000 people. A tuberculosis case is defined as a patient in whom tuberculosis has been bacteriologically confirmed or diagnosed by a clinician.

Last available data: 2005; evolution since 1990.

11
People living with HIV/AIDS
15-49 years old (%)
Percentage of adults (15-49 years) living with HIV/AIDS.

Last available data: 2005; evolution since 2001.

0.2
Infant mortality
per 1,000 live births
Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Last available data: 2006; evolution since 1990.

4
Under-5 mortality
per 1,000 live births
Probability of dying between birth and exactly five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births.

Last available data: 2006; evolution since 1990.

4

 

Women’s reproductive health : "…States Parties shall ensure to women appropriate services in connection with pregnancy, confinement and the post-natal period, granting free services where necessary, as well as adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation."

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Article 12, 1979.

"Provide more accessible, available and affordable primary health- care services of high quality, including sexual and reproductive health care, which includes family planning information and services, and giving particular attention to maternal and emergency obstetric care…"

Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action, Paragraph 106, 1995.

Source: Women aged 15-49 attended at least once during pregnancy: Global Health Atlas, WHO (www.who.int/GlobalAtlas). Except for (†) Demographic and Health Surveys - STAT compiler (www.measuredhs.com/accesssurveys).
Births attended by skilled health personnel: Reproductive Health Indicators Database, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO (www.who.int/reproductivehealth/). Except for (†) Demographic and Health Surveys - STAT compiler (www.measuredhs.com/accesssurveys).
Maternal mortality ratio: Reproductive Health Indicators Database, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO (www.who.int/reproductivehealth/).
Contraceptive use among currently in union women aged 15-49: World Development Indicators 2008 website, World Bank (www.worldbank.org).

Births attended by skilled health personnel
(%)
Percentage of births attended by skilled health personnel (doctors, nurses or midwives).

Last available data: 2001/2006; evolution since 1990 or closest possible year.

99*
Estimated maternal mortality ratio
per 100,000 live births
Annual number of deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births. Due to changes in the model of estimation, 1995 and 2005 data are not comparable.

Last available data: 2005.

8

 

Gender and education : "Discrimination against women, denying or limiting as it does their equality of rights with men, is fundamentally unjust and constitutes an offence against human dignity."

Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Article 1. 1967.

"We are convinced that… women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace."

Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action, Paragraph 13, 1995.

Source: UNESCO Website Database (www.uis.unesco.org), 2008.

Net primary enrolment ratio gap
women/men
Ratio of female net primary enrolment ratio to male net primary enrolment ratio.
Last available data: 2000/2005; evolution since 1991.
1.00*
Net secondary enrolment ratio gap
women/men
Ratio of female net secondary enrolment ratio to male net secondary enrolment ratio.
Last available data: 2000/2005; evolution since 1991.
1.01*
gross tertiary enrolment ratio gap
women/men
Ratio of female gross tertiary enrolment ratio to male gross tertiary enrolment ratio.
Last available data: 2000/2005; evolution since 1991.
1.23*

 

Gender gap in economic activity and earned income : "Discrimination against women, denying or limiting as it does their equality of rights with men, is fundamentally unjust and constitutes an offence against human dignity."

Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Article 1, 1967.

"We are convinced that… women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace."

Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action, Paragraph 13, 1995.

Source: Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP.

Activity rate gap
women/men
Female economic activity rate (the share of the female population ages 15 and older who supply, or are available to supply, labour for the production of goods and services) as a percentage of the male economic activity rate.
Last available data: 2005; evolution since 1990.
0.7
Estimated earned income ratio
women/men
Ratio of estimated female earned income to estimated male earned income. Because of the lack of gender-disaggregated income data, female and male earned income are crudely estimated by UNDP on the basis of data on the ratio of the female non-agricultural wage to the male non-agricultural wage, the female and male shares of the economically active population, the total female and male population and GDP per capita (purchasing power parity in USD).
Last available data: 1991/2005.
0.6

 

Women’s empowerment : "Discrimination against women, denying or limiting as it does their equality of rights with men, is fundamentally unjust and constitutes an offence against human dignity."

Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Article 1, 1967.

"We are convinced that… women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace."

Conference on Women - Beijing Platform for Action, Paragraph 13, 1995.

Source: Female professional and technical workers: Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP.
Female legislators, senior officials and managers: Human Development Report 2007, UNDP.
Women in decision-making positions in government at ministerial level: Human Development Report 1997, UNDP and Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP.
Seats in parliament held by women: IPU Database, 2008. (www.ipu.org)

Female professional and technical workers
as % of total positions
Women’s share of positions defined according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) to include physical, mathematical and engineering science professionals (and associate professionals), life science and health professionals (and associate professionals), teaching professionals (and associate professionals) and other professionals and associate professionals.
Latest available data taken from ILO Laborsta Database (March, 2007) as published by Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP.
49
Female legislators, senior officials and managers
% of total positions
Women’s share of positions defined according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) to include legislators, senior government officials, traditional chiefs and heads of villages, senior officials of special interest organizations, corporate managers, directors and chief executives, production and operations department managers and other department and general managers.
Latest available data taken from ILO Laborsta Database (March, 2007) as published by Human Development Report 2007/2008, UNDP.
32
Women in decision-making positions in government at ministerial level
% of total positions
Women as a percentage of total decision-making positions in government. Data were provided by states based on their definition of national executive and may therefore include women serving as ministers and vice ministers and those holding other ministerial positions, including parliamentary secretaries.
Last available data: 2005; evolution since 1995.
21.4
Seats in parliament held by women
% of seats
Seats held by women in a lower or single house, where relevant, as percentage of total seats.
Last available data: 2008; evolution since 1997.
34.7

 

Poverty :

Source: LAST AVAILABLE DATA Although the World Bank announced in August 2008 its new estimates for world poverty, as well as the new extreme poverty line of 1.25 USD, the country by country data are still not available publicly or for paying subscribers.

Share of poorest quintile consumption/ income
(%)
8.52000
Gini Index
332000

 

(*) Data refers to years or periods other than those specified in the indicator's definition.

 

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