Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
live 1.3 years less
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In United States, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.
be 63.8% more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 22.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.
Economy
make 21.2% more money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $53,300 as of 2022, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $64,600 as of 2022.
be 34.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In United States, that number is 3.6% as of 2022.
pay a 26.3% lower top tax rate
Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.
be 14.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 13.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.
Life
have 13.0% more children
In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In United States, 21.0 women do as of 2020.
be 62.1% more likely to die during infancy
In Belgium, approximately 3.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In United States, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 69.4% more on healthcare
Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United States, that number is 18.8% of GDP as of 2020.
Geography
see 299.6 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service.
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.