Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.1 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Montenegro, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 83.2% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Montenegro, the top tax rate is 9.0% as of 2016.

make 56.3% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Montenegro, the GDP per capita is $27,800 as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Montenegro, that number is 15.2% as of 2023.

be 72.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Montenegro, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2020.

Life

be 20.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Montenegro, 6.0 women do as of 2020.

Geography

see 4.4 times more coastline

Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Montenegro, that number is 294 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Department of Public Revenues, Montenegro.

Montenegro: At a glance

Montenegro is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 13,452 sq km. The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries Montenegro managed to maintain a level of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it transformed into a secular principality. Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; at the conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, creating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, shifting to a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006.
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