Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 0.8 years less

In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 20.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Sweden, 6.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Belgium, that number is 5.4% as of 2019.

be 13.5% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sweden, 17.1% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Belgium, however, that number is 14.8% as of 2018.

Life

be 25.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Sweden, approximately 4.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2017.

be 38.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Sweden, approximately 2.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belgium, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 15.8% less on education

Sweden spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Belgium spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

Geography

see 97.9% less coastline

Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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

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