Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 70.5% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 33.1% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.8 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.
be 94.8% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.
have 38.0% fewer children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.0% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 7.5 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.
Safety
be 13.5 times more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 63.0% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.
find 36.7% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 34.1% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: At a glance
How big is Puerto Rico compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.