Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
live 6.5 years longer
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 17.8% more access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
have 17.4% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
be 93.1% more likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 42.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 3.0 times more money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 66.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Belgium, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2024.
have 10.8% more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.2% more likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.6% more on education
Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 36.4% more on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 81.2% less coastline
Bulgaria has a total of 354 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 45.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 28.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Bulgaria, 86% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 19.5% more home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 32.4% more electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 31.3% more strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 76.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 37.7% more CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.