Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 51.1% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is 9.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.3 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 73.4% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bosnia and Herzegovina spends $1,989 as of 2023.
have 27.7% fewer doctors per person
Belgium has 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 25.8 as of 2019.
have 23.3% less access to essential health services
Belgium scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bosnia and Herzegovina scores 66 as of 2021.
Economy
be 86.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 11.0% as of 2025.
make 82.9% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the GDP per capita is $10,382 as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Belgium, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 77.4% more likely to die during infancy
In Belgium, approximately 3.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 16.1% fewer children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.1% less likely to have internet access
In Belgium, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 86.1% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 48.2% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina spends 3.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 17.4% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 69.9% less coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 20 km.
Safety
be 13.0% more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 1.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, they kill 13.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.1% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 33.6% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 29.4 as of 2024.
use 48.2% less electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina uses 3,677 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 11.8% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bosnia and Herzegovina emits 6.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it causes 55.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina: At a glance
How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.