Discover our summary of the major headlines in the insurance industry in Belgium with just a scroll!
AXA takes action against school bullying
05/01/2026 – Source
At the start of a new school term, AXA is taking action against school bullying, identified as the leading source of stress for young people, according to six out of ten Belgians.
School bullying can take physical, verbal, social, or digital forms and often occurs outside the sight of adults, with potentially serious consequences for children’s mental health and well-being.
In response, AXA becomes the first insurer in Belgium to cover psychological support for children who are victims of bullying as part of its legal protection insurance. The initiative aims to remove barriers to professional help, encourage open dialogue within families, and ensure rapid and appropriate support.
In practical terms, AXA offers personalized support, including reimbursement of psychological consultations, guidance toward appropriate resources, support for parents, and assistance with legal steps. This initiative seeks to strengthen prevention efforts and provide children with a safer and more supportive environment.
After One Year: The Impact of the Belfius–Alan Partnership
07/01/2026 – Source
One year after launching their strategic partnership, Belfius and Alan show that a collaboration between two digital leaders can modernize Belgium’s health insurance market. In just 12 months, over 200 companies joined the initiative, giving more than 50,000 employees access to a modern, preventive approach to workplace health.
The partnership addresses a major societal challenge: rising long-term absenteeism, particularly linked to mental health, and the lack of investment in prevention. Belfius contributes its strong local presence and trusted client relationships, while Alan brings a technology-driven health insurance and prevention platform.
The results are significant across both the private and public sectors, with 22,000 public-sector affiliates covered and high adoption rates. Overall, the partnership demonstrates how workplace health can shift from a cost to a strategic investment for companies and society.
KBC completes the acquisition of 365.bank, strengthening its position in Slovakia
15/01/2026 – Source
KBC Group announces the successful completion of its acquisition of a 98.45% stake in 365.bank from J&T Finance Group for a total of EUR 708 million. The completion marks a significant milestone in KBC’s long‑term growth strategy in Slovakia – a core market for the group – and reinforces its ambition to remain a leading financial player in Central and Eastern Europe.
The acquisition will have a limited impact on KBC’s capital position (approximately -50 basis points on KBC’s unfloored fully loaded CET-1 ratio) which remains very solid keeping KBC’s CET1 ratio well above regulatory minimum capital requirements.
Myth or reality: do you really know all the specifics of car insurance?
20/01/2026 – Source
The opening of the 102nd edition of the Brussels Motor Show is the ideal opportunity for AXA Insurance to address and clarify some of the rumours, myths, and common misconceptions surrounding cars and car insurance. Let’s play a quick true or false game !
❌ FALSE
➡️ Find the detailed answers on AXA’s website
Motor insurance - Key figures 2024
09/01/2026 – Source
The Belgian insurance federation, Assuralia, also takes the opportunity of the launch of the Brussels Motor Show to highlight several key figures related to mandatory motor third-party liability insurance for private individuals in 2024:
- 6 million passenger cars (Passenger and Business category)
- 285,761 at-fault claims
- On an annual basis, 4.8 drivers out of 100 cause an accident
- Average cost per claim: €4,380
- 18,662 claims involving bodily injury
- Average cost of an accident involving bodily injury: €23,408
- Average net MTPL premium (Passenger and Business), excluding taxes: €320
Insurance premium taxes:
- Motor Third-Party Liability = 27.10%
- Comprehensive insurance (Omnium) = 26.75%
- Legal protection insurance = 16.75%
- Driver insurance = 16.75%
- Assistance / Breakdown insurance = 13%
Long-term absenteeism remains on the rise in 2025 but short-term declines
15/01/2026 – Source
In 2025, long-term absenteeism continues to rise in Belgium’s private sector. According to SD Worx data covering more than 1.2 million employees across 37,000 companies, 3.14% of private-sector workers were absent for more than one year, representing an 18% increase compared to 2020.
At the same time, short- and medium-term absenteeism declined. Only 65% of employees were absent at least one day due to short-term illness during the year, and the share of workers absent for more than one month dropped to just under 13%. Despite these improvements, more than one in ten working days (10.14%) is still lost to illness, and related costs continue to rise.
From January 1, 2026, companies with at least 50 employees will be required to pay a solidarity contribution equal to 30% of the sickness benefit during the second and third months of an employee’s incapacity, adding financial pressure.
Significant differences remain across sectors and company sizes, underlining the uneven impact of absenteeism in the Belgian private sector.
| < 1 month | > 1 month < 1 year | Non-absent workers | > 1 year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 65.24% | 13.32% | 29.99% | 3.07% |
| 2025 | 64.70% | 12.97% | 30.31% | 3.14% |
| Difference | -0.83% | -2.63% | +1.07% | +2.04% |
Source: SD Worx, 10 January 2026
AG certified “Top Employer’ and aims to hire 330 new employees
15/01/2026 – Source
AG has been certified Top Employer for the 14th consecutive year, achieving a record score of 94.11%, which confirms its position among the most attractive employers in Belgium. The company under Ageas stands out across all evaluation categories, reflecting its ongoing commitment to creating a work environment where employees feel:
- Heard – notably through the internal communication platform Heart, initiatives such as Let’s Talk with the CEO, surveys, and employee ambassadors;
- Supported – with a digital onboarding platform, personalized follow-up, internal communication groups, and regular check-ins that allow new colleagues to integrate smoothly;
- Encouraged to grow – through internal mobility, networking opportunities, a comprehensive learning platform, and the Talk2Grow feedback program
This well-thought-out HR approach is essential to delivering AG’s ambitious recruitment plans. This year, the company is looking to welcome 330 new colleagues across a wide range of functions.
Ethias expects to recruit around 250 external profiles in 2026
14/01/2026 – Source
For the 5th consecutive year, Ethias is also certified “Top Employer” and stands out with scores above sector averages. This certification confirms Ethias’ ability to continuously evolve in order to meet the expectations of its 2,005 employees and adapt to the ongoing transformation of its business activities. It highlights the strength and consistency of HR practices across the Ethias Group, with a clear commitment to high and shared standards in terms of well-being, flexibility, and talent development.
In 2025, Ethias recruited 201 new talents, demonstrating its strong attractiveness as an employer. Building on this momentum, the insurer expects to recruit around 250 external profiles in 2026 to support the evolution of its activities.
These recruitments will cover both the reinforcement of management and support functions, as well as specialized profiles in actuarial and quantitative fields. At the same time, Ethias continues to develop new areas of expertise related to artificial intelligence, data, and emerging technological uses.
