Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.3 years longer

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Malta, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 30.8% more likely to be obese

In Belgium, 22.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Malta, that number is 28.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 43.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Malta, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.

pay a 34.8% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Malta, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 10.1% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Malta, the GDP per capita is $57,200 as of 2023.

be 35.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malta, however, that number is 16.7% as of 2021.

Life

be 40.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Malta, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 42.0% 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 Malta, on the other hand, 4.5 children do as of 2022.

have 13.0% fewer children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malta, there are 9.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 11.9% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Malta spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.0 times more coastline

Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Malta, that number is 197 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Government of Malta - Inland Revenue.

Malta: At a glance

Malta is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 316 sq km. Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both world wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964; a decade later it declared itself a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination. Malta became an EU member in May 2004 and began using the euro as currency in 2008.
Read more

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

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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