Découvrez l'évolution des maladies et des causes de décès au fil du temps
Cette page contient des articles sur les principales causes de décès dans l’histoire de la Belgique. Ces articles s’appuient sur les dernières connaissances scientifiques et expliquent comment les maladies évoluent dans le temps et dans l’espace.
Dementia: The Rise of a Leading Cause of Death and Its Unequal Toll on Women
In Belgium, as in many high-income countries, dementia has emerged as a leading cause of death, particularly among women aged 65 and above. A little over 100 years ago, when Alois Alzheimer studied the brains of his patient Auguste Deter, the disease was unknown. Discover how scientific advances accompanied a growing awareness of the disease, and a growing number of patients.
Unclear Causes of Death: What Can we Learn From Them?
Belgium has been collecting cause-of-death data since the mid-nineteenth century. Despite continued efforts to improve data collection, a small but meaningful share of deaths did not get a precise cause. Instead, these deaths were recorded under vague labels such as convulsions, old age, or simply unknown. At first glance, these categories seem frustratingly imprecise. But when we look more closely, they tell a revealing story about age, class, and changing medical and administrative practices.
The Rise of Cancer in Belgium: Real Change or Better Recording?
Cancer is one of the most widespread diseases of our time. Yet two centuries ago, it barely appeared in the historical record. Over time, medical innovations and shifting ways of life changed cancer mortality risks dramatically. Discover here how cancer gradually became visible, how it was counted, and which areas in Belgium were impacted first and most.
Two Centuries of Heart Disease in Belgium
During the twentieth century, cardiovascular disease became the world’s leading cause of death. Today, people with lower income or less education have been more likely to die from it. But the past tells a different story. In nineteenth-century Belgium higher occupational groups were at higher risk. Let’s find out why.
Alcohol’s Underestimated Death Toll in Belgium
For most of Belgium’s history, alcohol killed almost no one, at least on paper. In Belgium, officially, alcoholism accounted for only 4 out of every 1000 deaths at its pre-war peak in the early 1900s. Today, we know alcohol is responsible for many more deaths than just those that are directly due to alcoholism. This article explores the death toll of Belgium’s favourite drug.
Tuberculosis: The 19th Century's Silent Killer
For centuries, tuberculosis was one of humanity’s deadliest companions. It was likely the leading cause of death in human history. In Belgium, tuberculosis was a major killer well into the nineteenth century, particularly as urbanization and industrialization reshaped living conditions.
Cholera: the Deadliest Epidemic in Belgian History?
In the nineteenth century, cholera swept through the country multiple times, leaving devastation in its wake. Half of those touched by the disease would not survive. The poor suffered the most, but the wealthy were touched as well. Was it simply bad luck, or did deeper patterns of inequality determine who lived and who died?
Suicide in Belgium: Patterns Across Time and Space
Suicide is one of the most stable causes of death across societies and time. While its social meanings and the ways it is recorded have evolved, the phenomenon itself has remained a consistent feature of human life. In Belgium, like in many other European countries, the question of who dies by suicide, where, and how, has long preoccupied researchers, policymakers, and the public alike.
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The Ineqkill Atlas of Mortality Inequalities in Belgium provides detailed information about mortality and diseases in Belgium from 1820 to 2025.
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Pleinlaan 5 (Room 2.17)
1050 Brussels, Belgium
e-mail: sylvie.gadeyne@vub.be
