Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of China, you would:
Health
live 4.3 years longer
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 5.0 times more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 14.8% more doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.4 times more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 27.9% more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 75.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 24.4% less likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 35.9% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 61.0% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 81.8% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.5% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 73.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 32.4% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In China, 91% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 27.2% more strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 76.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.6% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.