Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Germany, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Germany, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 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 15.1% less spent on your healthcare
Germany spends $8,826 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 21.2% fewer doctors per person
Germany has 45.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
be 42.3% more likely to die by suicide
Germany has a suicide rate of 12.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 16.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Germany, 14.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
be 59.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Germany, 3.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
have 13.6% more children
In Germany, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 12.0% less on healthcare
Germany spends 12.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 19.8% more on education
Germany spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 97.2% less coastline
Germany has a total of 2,389 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 18.7% more likely to be murdered
Germany has a homicide rate of 0.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 14.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Germany, 72% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
be 39.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Germany, road accidents kill 3.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 16.2% more electricity
Germany uses 6,109 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 49.4% more strain on fresh water
Germany withdraws 35% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2020–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Germany vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Germany? See an in-depth size comparison.