Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 20.2 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 129.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 17.2 times more doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 2.0 times more access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% 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
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 78.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 56.2% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 75.3 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 33.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 99.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 94.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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 77.5% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 4.5 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (56% in urban areas, and 1% 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 4.9 times more likely to have internet access
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 19.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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 2.2 times more on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.9 times more on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 79.7% more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 71.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 16.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 1474.3 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 55.2 times more electricity
Democratic Republic of the Congo uses 129 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 229.7 times more strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 79.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 121.8 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Belgium
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Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.