Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Equatorial Guinea, you would:
Health
live 18.4 years longer
In Equatorial Guinea, 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 12.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Equatorial Guinea spends $609 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 23.4 times more doctors per person
Equatorial Guinea has 1.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 87.0% more access to essential health services
Equatorial Guinea scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Equatorial Guinea has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Equatorial Guinea, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 75.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Equatorial Guinea, 50.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 9.2 times more money
Equatorial Guinea has a GDP per capita of $6,615 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
Life
be 97.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 174.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 93.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 47.6 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 69.3% fewer children
In Equatorial Guinea, there are approximately 30.0 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 49.5% more likely to have access to electricity
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 67% of people have electricity access (89% 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 51.3% more likely to have internet access
In Equatorial Guinea, approximately 63.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.1 times more on healthcare
Equatorial Guinea spends 3.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 77.5% less coastline
Equatorial Guinea has a total of 296 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 60.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Equatorial Guinea, road accidents kill 11.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 442.3 times more home broadband
Equatorial Guinea has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 9.0 times more electricity
Equatorial Guinea uses 792 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 293.5 times more strain on fresh water
Equatorial Guinea withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 74.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Equatorial Guinea, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Equatorial Guinea emits 2.5 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: Equatorial Guinea vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Equatorial Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.