Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.8 years longer

In China, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.6 times more likely to be obese

In China, 6.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.9 times more money

China has a GDP per capita of $22,100 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 18.0% more likely to be unemployed

In China, 4.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 19.3% higher top tax rate

China has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 78.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In China, approximately 23.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 52.8% less likely to die during infancy

In China, approximately 6.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Belgium, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 24.7% more likely to have internet access

In China, approximately 73.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 86.1% more on education

China spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 98.2% more on healthcare

China spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.5% less coastline

China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, State Administration of Taxation.

Belgium: At a glance

Belgium is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 30,278 sq km. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
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How big is Belgium compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.

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