Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 18.5 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 74.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 45.8 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 2.1 times more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 4.0 times more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 75.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 259.8 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 6.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 99.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 89.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 72.3% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 8.6 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 11.1 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
be 51.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 39.6% more on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 18.8% more on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 62.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2211.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
live with 5.2 times more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 78.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 104.4 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.