If you lived in Belarus instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 20.6 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Belarus, that number is 74 years (69 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

be 4.5 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belarus, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 13.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2022, while in Belarus, the GDP per capita is $27,700 as of 2023.

be 75.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 14.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belarus, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

be 91.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Belarus, however, that number is 4.8% as of 2020.

pay a 35.0% lower top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Belarus, the top tax rate is 13.0% as of 2017.

Life

be 99.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 620.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belarus, 1.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Belarus, it is 99.9% as of 2019.

be 96.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belarus, on the other hand, 3.3 children do as of 2022.

have 75.7% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 34.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belarus, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belarus, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 4.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Belarus, about 85.0% do as of 2022.

be 30.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 58.7% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belarus, that number is 6.4% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 62.1% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belarus spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2021.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry for Taxes and Levies of the Republic of Belarus.

Belarus: At a glance

Belarus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 202,900 sq km. After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.
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How big is Belarus compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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