Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Dominican Republic instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 77.1% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.4 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 47.6% more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, that number is 30.8% of people as of 2024.
see 84.4% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Dominican Republic spends $1,169 as of 2023.
have 32.1% fewer doctors per person
Belgium has 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Dominican Republic has 24.3 as of 2023.
have 10.5% less access to essential health services
Belgium scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Dominican Republic scores 77 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Dominican Republic, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 40.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Dominican Republic, however, that number is 17.3% as of 2025.
make 81.8% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Dominican Republic, the GDP per capita is $11,059 as of 2025.
Life
have 91.5% more children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Dominican Republic, there are 17.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 31.0 times 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 Dominican Republic, 124.0 women do as of 2023.
be 8.9 times 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 Dominican Republic, on the other hand, 27.7 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.1% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Dominican Republic spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.4% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Dominican Republic, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 19.4 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Dominican Republic, that number is 1,288 km.
Safety
be 10.1 times more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, that number is 10.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 36.0% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Belgium, 62% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, that number is 40% as of 2022.
be 6.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Dominican Republic, they kill 27.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 25.1% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Dominican Republic withdraws 40% as of 2022.
find 74.7% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Dominican Republic has 11.2 as of 2024.
use 73.7% less electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Dominican Republic uses 1,867 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 59.1% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Dominican Republic emits 3.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 80.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Dominican Republic, it causes 27.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic: At a glance
How big is Dominican Republic compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.