Depression has become the main reason for staff absences from work

According to official figures presented by the Minister for Health, Martine Deprez, depression has become the leading cause of temporary incapacity for work among private-sector employees. Last year, this condition accounted for 17.5 per cent of all sick days, representing a significant increase compared with 14.8 per cent in 2016. Following a brief decline in 2020 and 2022, the proportion of such sick days has been rising steadily. It is noteworthy that other psychiatric disorders remain statistically insignificant, accounting for less than 1 per cent of the total number of working days lost.

An analysis of the duration of sick leave shows that the average length of absence from work due to depression has stood at 27–28 days in recent years. Until 2023, women were on sick leave for an average of 2.4 days longer than men; however, by 2024, this gender gap had completely disappeared, standing at 27.8 days for both sexes. Furthermore, the duration of recovery is directly dependent on employees’ age: whilst young professionals aged 20 to 24 miss an average of 17 days, for workers over 60 this figure almost doubles to 33.2 days. Overall, the proportion of employees taking sick leave due to depression is steadily increasing relative to the total economically active population.

Sector-specific statistics reveal significant disparities in the labour market. The longest periods of sick leave due to depression in 2024 were observed in the hotel and restaurant sector, where the average stood at 33.7 days. In contrast, the public administration and education sectors recorded the lowest figures at 23.4 days. At the same time, the largest increase in the number of days of incapacity for work due to depression over the past eight years was recorded in the construction sector (a rise of 35.9 per cent), in the other services sector (21.6 per cent) and in agriculture (20.3 per cent). Meanwhile, the industrial sector and the healthcare sector showed the lowest growth rates — 1.8 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively.