Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 25.3% less likely to be obese

In Belgium, 22.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

live 22.2 years less

In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 38.5% lower top tax rate

Belgium has a top tax rate of 53.7% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

make 83.3% less money

Belgium has a GDP per capita of $63,600 as of 2023, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $10,600 as of 2023.

be 6.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Belgium, 5.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 37.6% as of 2023.

be 4.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In Belgium, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 87.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Belgium, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 12.4 times 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 17.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Belgium, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Swaziland, 82% of the population do as of 2022.

be 35.2% less likely to have internet access

In Belgium, approximately 91.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 19.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Belgium, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 25.4% less on education

Belgium spends 6.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 41.4% less on healthcare

Belgium spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Swaziland Revenue Authority.

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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How big is Swaziland compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.

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