Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Paraguay, you would:
Health
live 8.3 years longer
In Paraguay, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 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 39.9% less likely to be obese
In Paraguay, 34.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
see 5.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Paraguay spends $1,469 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 19.4% more access to essential health services
Paraguay scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Paraguay has a suicide rate of 6.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 23.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Paraguay, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2025. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 8.6 times more money
Paraguay has a GDP per capita of $7,027 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 23.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Paraguay, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 93.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Paraguay, approximately 58.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 78.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Paraguay, approximately 14.5 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 53.4% fewer children
In Paraguay, there are approximately 19.7 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 17.4% more likely to have internet access
In Paraguay, approximately 81.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.9% more on education
Paraguay spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 29.2% more on healthcare
Paraguay spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 84.1% less likely to be murdered
Paraguay has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 43.4% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Paraguay, 43% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
be 78.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Paraguay, road accidents kill 21.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.4 times more home broadband
Paraguay has 12.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 3.0 times more electricity
Paraguay uses 2,389 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 28.7 times more strain on fresh water
Paraguay withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Paraguay, air pollution causes 25.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 6.3 times more CO2
Paraguay emits 1.2 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Paraguay vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Paraguay? See an in-depth size comparison.