Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Belgium instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
live 1.8 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 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 19.1% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 20.9% of people as of 2024.
have 18.9% fewer doctors per person
Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Belgium has 35.7 as of 2022.
be 32.7% more likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Belgium, it is 18.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 32.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.
be 23.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sweden, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.
Life
be 55.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Sweden, approximately 2.0 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 14.2% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Belgium spends 6.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 97.9% less coastline
Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.
Safety
be 15.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Sweden, 73% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 62% as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Belgium, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 14.8 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Belgium withdraws 53% as of 2022.
use 41.9% less electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Belgium uses 7,099 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 87.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Belgium, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.0 times more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. Belgium
Belgium: At a glance
How big is Belgium compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.