Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Paraguay instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 65.4% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Paraguay, it is 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.3 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 66.3% more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Paraguay, that number is 34.7% of people as of 2024.
see 80.4% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Paraguay spends $1,469 as of 2023.
have 16.3% less access to essential health services
Belgium scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Paraguay scores 72 as of 2021.
Economy
be 18.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Paraguay, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 30.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Paraguay, however, that number is 16.0% as of 2025.
make 88.4% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Paraguay, the GDP per capita is $7,027 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Paraguay, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 14.5 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 Paraguay, 58.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.7 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 Paraguay, on the other hand, 14.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.8% less likely to have internet access
In Belgium, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Paraguay, about 81.6% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 43.8% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Paraguay spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 22.6% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Paraguay, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 6.3 times more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Paraguay, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 30.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Belgium, 62% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Paraguay, that number is 43% as of 2019.
be 4.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Paraguay, they kill 21.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.5% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Paraguay withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 70.9% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Paraguay has 12.9 as of 2023.
use 66.4% less electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 84.1% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Paraguay emits 1.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 66.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Paraguay, it causes 25.0 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. Paraguay
Paraguay: At a glance
How big is Paraguay compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.