Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 11.1% more likely to be obese

In Italy, 19.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 20.3% more money

Italy has a GDP per capita of $44,300 as of 2022, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $53,300 as of 2022.

be 31.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Italy, 8.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 5.6% as of 2022.

be 34.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Italy, 20.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Belgium, however, that number is 13.2% as of 2021.

pay a 10.0% higher top tax rate

Italy has a top tax rate of 48.8% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

have 52.1% more children

In Italy, there are approximately 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 21.3% more likely to have internet access

In Italy, approximately 75.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 55.8% more on education

Italy spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 15.6% more on healthcare

Italy spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.1% less coastline

Italy has a total of 7,600 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, Italian Revenue Agency.

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.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Belgium.or Italy It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.