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Research project: Age discrimination in Belgium

16/12/2024
  • Studies
  • Society
  • Age

Age discrimination is a complex and often invisible form of inequality in Belgian society. It can take different forms and has an impact on various areas of life, from employment and housing to access to healthcare and digital services. With this new study, Unia aims to gain a better understanding of how age discrimination manifests itself, how it interacts with other inequalities and how we can tackle this phenomenon. 

Why this study?

Our previous surveys and interviews with stakeholders show that: 

  • There is too little data on age discrimination outside the realm of work. 
  • Insufficient attention is paid to intersections with other forms of discrimination, such as discrimination based on disability or origin 
  • Certain age groups, such as young people or specific subgroups within the "65+" category, are often overlooked. 

We will therefore publish a detailed research report with concrete recommendations in November 2025 and organise a final conference to share the main insights from the study. 

This research project is funded by the Equal Opportunities Department of the Federal Public Service (FPS) Justice. 

Research question

What is the state of age discrimination in Belgian society?   

By answering this question, we aim to: 

  1. Mapping how often people feel discriminated against based on their age. 
  2. Gaining insight into the concrete ways age discrimination manifests itself in different domains.  
  3. Better understand victims' reactions, such as why they report the incident or not. 

How do we tackle this?

1. Large-scale survey 

Our survey aims to collect both figures and testimonies on age discrimination. 

What are we investigating? 

  • Frequency of discrimination experiences: how often do people report experiences of age discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, healthcare, access to rights and digitalisation? 
  • Experiences: Participants can share concrete testimonies so that we can better understand these forms of discrimination. 
  • Reactions and perceptions: What do people do after an experience of age discrimination? Do they report the incident, and why (not)? How do they interpret these events? 

The survey will be designed with a participatory process: we will work with a discussion group of stakeholders to decide which themes and domains are most relevant. 

2. Intersectional focus groups

We organise focus groups to delve deeper into the specific experiences of interactions between age discrimination and other forms of discrimination such as: 

  • Age x ethnic origin / migration background / ancestry / other 'racial' criteria 
  • Age x poverty 
  • Age x disability 
  • Age x gender 
  • Age x LGBTQIA+  

During these sessions, we let participants engage with each other to identify shared and unique experiences. This offers us deeper insights into the interaction between age-based discrimination and other forms of inequality. 

3. Analysis of reports at Unia 

We conduct an intersectional analysis of reports received by Unia regarding age discrimination.  

  • To what extent are reports around age discrimination associated with other forms of discrimination?   
  • How do the patterns in the reports (not) match the experiences discussed in the focus groups?  

What can you expect?

In November 2025, you can expect  

  • A report with the research findings and concrete recommendations to tackle age discrimination. 
  • A closing conference, where we can engage with policymakers and organisations on our findings and next steps. 
  • An updated version of the [Equality Data Hub]  with existing data on age discrimination and inequality. 

Do you have a question or comment?   
Contact us at equalitydata@unia.be 

  • Studies
  • Society
  • Age