Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Iran, you would:
Health
live 4.5 years longer
In Iran, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 15.1% less likely to be obese
In Iran, 24.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
see 7.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Iran spends $1,064 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 97.3% more doctors per person
Iran has 18.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 16.2% more access to essential health services
Iran scores 74 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 4.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Iran has a suicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 28.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Iran, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
make 15.5 times more money
Iran has a GDP per capita of $3,924 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
Life
be 75.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Iran, 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 69.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Iran, approximately 10.3 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 26.8% fewer children
In Iran, there are approximately 12.6 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 12.2% more likely to have internet access
In Iran, approximately 85.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Iran spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 79.1% more on healthcare
Iran spends 6.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.3% less coastline
Iran has a total of 2,440 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 77.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iran, road accidents kill 20.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.7 times more home broadband
Iran has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
live with 35.0% less strain on fresh water
Iran withdraws 81% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
use 86.1% more electricity
Iran uses 3,815 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 70.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iran, air pollution causes 51.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 19.2% less CO2
Iran emits 9.1 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), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Iran vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Iran? See an in-depth size comparison.