Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 10.1 years longer

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 31.4 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $53,300 as of 2022.

be 81.1% more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 5.6% as of 2022.

Life

be 95.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 85.6% less likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 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 18.2% fewer children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 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 90.1% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 53% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

Geography

see 97.3% less coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 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 North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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