Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Rhode Island, you would:
Health
live 3.7 years longer
In Rhode Island, the average life expectancy is 78 years (77 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 11.7% more money
Rhode Island has a GDP per capita of $56,938 as of 2024, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.
be 25.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Rhode Island, 4.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
be 19.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Rhode Island, 10.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Rhode Island? See an in-depth size comparison.