Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Macedonia instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 68.5% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Macedonia, it is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.7 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 28.7% more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Macedonia, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2024.
see 75.9% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Macedonia spends $1,808 as of 2023.
have 17.6% fewer doctors per person
Belgium has 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Macedonia has 29.4 as of 2022.
have 14.0% less access to essential health services
Belgium scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Macedonia scores 74 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Macedonia, that number is 12.3% as of 2025.
be 78.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Macedonia, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2023.
make 82.7% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Macedonia, the GDP per capita is $10,490 as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% less 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 Macedonia, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.4% less 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 Macedonia, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 31.2% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Macedonia, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 41.7% more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Macedonia, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Macedonia, they kill 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 32.4% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Macedonia has 29.9 as of 2024.
use 53.2% less electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia uses 3,320 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 45.3% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Macedonia emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Macedonia, it causes 62.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Macedonia
Macedonia: At a glance
How big is Macedonia compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.