Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Slovakia, you would:
Health
live 3.9 years longer
In Slovakia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 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 20.1% less likely to be obese
In Slovakia, 26.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
see 2.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Slovakia spends $3,230 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Belgium spends $7,489 as of 2023.
be 85.3% more likely to die by suicide
Slovakia has a suicide rate of 9.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 10.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Slovakia, 13.7% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
make 2.1 times more money
Slovakia has a GDP per capita of $28,544 as of 2025, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.
be 10.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Slovakia, 5.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 41.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Slovakia, approximately 5.3 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.
Expenditures
spend 34.8% more on education
Slovakia spends 4.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 46.9% more on healthcare
Slovakia spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 10.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Slovakia, road accidents kill 6.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 30.8% more home broadband
Slovakia has 33.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.
use 51.9% more electricity
Slovakia uses 4,675 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
live with 21.7 times more strain on fresh water
Slovakia withdraws 2% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
Environment
be 50.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Slovakia, air pollution causes 30.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 32.7% more CO2
Slovakia emits 5.5 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: Slovakia vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Slovakia? See an in-depth size comparison.