People in poor health find it more difficult to live within their income

People who consider their own health as poor more often find it hard to make ends meet. They cannot afford a hot meal every other day or heat their houses properly.

People who find it difficult to make ends meet by
self-perceived health and income level, 2006

In 2006, about 5 percent of people aged 16 years or older stated they were in bad health and 40 percent in this group found it hard to make ends meet. Only just over 10 percent of people who rated their own health status in the fair to good range had difficulty to live within their income. A low income appears to worsen financial problems. Above the low-income threshold, one third of people in bad health faced financial problems. Below the low-income threshold, the proportion of people in poor health barely able to live within their incomes exceeded 60 percent.

Certain expenses no longer possible

People in poor health sometimes tend to avoid or cut down on certain expenses because they lack the money. Nearly 10 percent of people in bad health could not afford a hot meal every other day, as againstt 20 percent of low-income earners. This percentage is twice as high as for low-income earners who rate their own health status in the fair to good range.

Another 9 percent of people in poor health had not enough income to heat their houses properly. With 22 percent, this proportion was even higher in the low-income bracket. This is more than twice as often as for low-income earners who rate their own health status in the fair to good range.

Insufficient financial means per category of expenses by self-perceived health and income level, 2006

Harry Bierings and Wendy Smits