Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.1 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Romania, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 70.2% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Romania, the top tax rate is 16.0% as of 2016.

make 36.3% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $40,500 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 Romania, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2021.

Life

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Romania, 10.0 women do as of 2020.

be 83.1% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 5.8 children do as of 2022.

have 21.3% fewer children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 8.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 44.8% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Romania spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 43.2% less on healthcare

Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Romania, that number is 6.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 3.4 times more coastline

Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In Romania, that number is 225 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF).

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.

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