Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Russia instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 15.5% less likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Russia, that number is 17.6% of people as of 2024.
have 43.0% more doctors per person
Belgium has 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Russia has 51.1 as of 2022.
live 8.9 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Russia, that number is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
see 57.2% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Russia spends $3,204 as of 2023.
be 16.4% more likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Russia, it is 21.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 64.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Russia, that number is 2.1% as of 2025.
be 41.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Russia, however, that number is 7.2% as of 2024.
make 71.1% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Russia, the GDP per capita is $17,547 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.2 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 Russia, 9.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.3% 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 Russia, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.8% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Russia spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 34.8% less on healthcare
Belgium spends 10.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Russia, that number is 7.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 566.2 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Russia, that number is 37,653 km.
Safety
be 46.2% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Belgium, 62% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Russia, that number is 90% as of 2020.
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 Russia, that number is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Russia, they kill 10.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.2% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Russia withdraws 4% as of 2022.
find 38.7% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Russia has 27.1 as of 2024.
Environment
be 2.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Russia, it causes 39.0 as of 2019.
emit 91.2% more CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Russia emits 14.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Russia
Russia: At a glance
How big is Russia compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.