Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
live 5.5 years longer
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 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 10.6% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
see 5.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 52.7% more doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 13.2% more access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.6 times more money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 57.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
Life
be 84.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 55.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 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 25.6% fewer children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 78.9% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.6% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 66.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 47.9% more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 31.7% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Malaysia, 90% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.3 times more home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 39.6% more electricity
Malaysia uses 5,084 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 15.4 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 76.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malaysia, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.1% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 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: Malaysia vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.