Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

live 4.7 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 60.5% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 55.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.1 times more money

Cook Islands has a GDP per capita of $15,600 as of 2022, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 57.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Cook Islands, 13.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2005. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 80.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 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.

have 10.7% fewer children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 40.4% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 45.7% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.5 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 44.6% less coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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