Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Maryland, you would:

Health

be 37.6% less likely to be obese

In Maryland, 33.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 59.7% more likely to be unemployed

In Maryland, 3.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 36.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Maryland, 9.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

make 12.1% less money

Maryland has a GDP per capita of $69,127 as of 2024, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Maryland vs. Belgium

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Belgium is 19.1% cheaper than Maryland
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Maryland is about 1.2 times smaller than Belgium.
→
Moving from Maryland to Belgium · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Baltimore vs Antwerp
→

Belgium: At a glance

Belgium is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 30,278 sq km. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
Read more

How big is Belgium compared to Maryland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Belgium or United States. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.