If you lived in Belgium instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 39.0% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 12.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Belgium, however, that number is 13.2% as of 2021.

make 17.5% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $64,600 as of 2022, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $53,300 as of 2022.

be 52.3% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 5.6% as of 2022.

pay a 35.6% higher top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 76.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 38.3% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 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.

have 11.5% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 41.0% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.7% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service.

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 United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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