Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 13.4 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 36.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
have 32.8 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
have 72.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Belgium scores 86 as of 2021.
be 79.9% more likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 67.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Senegal, 37.5% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 31.1 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Belgium, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 89.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 68.5% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 34.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 59.3% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
be 13.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Senegal, approximately 88% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 87.5% less coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 77.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.9 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 17.3 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 3.2 times more strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 76.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Senegal, air pollution causes 65.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.5 times more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 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: Senegal vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.