Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Costa Rica, you would:

Health

live 2.2 years longer

In Costa Rica, the average life expectancy is 80 years (77 years for men, 82 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 14.0% less likely to be obese

In Costa Rica, 25.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Costa Rica has a GDP per capita of $22,100 as of 2022, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $53,300 as of 2022.

be 50.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Costa Rica, 11.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 5.6% as of 2022.

be 48.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Costa Rica, 25.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Belgium, however, that number is 13.2% as of 2021.

pay a 3.6 times higher top tax rate

Costa Rica has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 77.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Costa Rica, approximately 22.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 62.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Costa Rica, approximately 8.4 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 40.5% more on healthcare

Costa Rica spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 94.8% less coastline

Costa Rica has a total of 1,290 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, Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica.

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 Costa Rica? See an in-depth size comparison.

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