Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.7 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Hungary, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 19.5% more likely to be obese

In Belgium, 22.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Hungary, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 25.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Hungary, that number is 4.1% as of 2023.

pay a 72.1% lower top tax rate

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

make 36.2% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Hungary, the GDP per capita is $40,600 as of 2023.

Life

be 3.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Hungary, 15.0 women do as of 2020.

be 44.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Belgium, approximately 3.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Hungary, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2022.

have 15.7% fewer children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hungary, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 28.4% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Hungary spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 34.2% less on healthcare

Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Hungary, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary.

Hungary: At a glance

Hungary is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 89,608 sq km. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
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How big is Hungary compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.

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