The time spent in front of the screens remains very high. No less than 7 Belgians out of 10 aged 15 and over watch television or videos at least two hours a day. The viewing time increases with age, while it decreases for social networks, reveals the study.
In terms of smoking, the number of daily smokers decreased to 12.8% (compared to 15.4% in 2018). Among these, 36% say they want to quit smoking in the coming year. The electronic cigarette gain in popularity: 6% of the population aged 15 and over makes it use (compared to 4% in 2018).
In terms of physical activity, the number of adults who, during their free time, respect the recommendations of the World Health Organization increased in 2023-2024, reaching 34.9% (against 30.1% in 2018). The WHO recommends, for example, 3 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week for adults, and on average 60 minutes per day for children and teenagers.
The number of people consuming alcohol every day fell to 7.7% (compared to 9.7% in 2018). However, average alcohol consumption has not decreased, warns Sciensano, due to higher consumption in non -daily drinkers.
About every five years, Sciensano is organizing a large health survey in Belgium. The currently published results relate to weight status, physical activity, eating habits, alcohol consumption or smoking, among others. As this is an investigation based on one moment in time, no conclusion can be drawn on causal links, warns Sciensano.
