Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.6 years longer

In Ethiopia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 4.9 times more likely to be obese

In Ethiopia, 4.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 22.7 times more money

Ethiopia has a GDP per capita of $2,800 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 47.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Ethiopia, 23.5% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

be 57.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Ethiopia, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 53.4% higher top tax rate

Ethiopia has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 98.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Ethiopia, approximately 267.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 90.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Ethiopia, approximately 33.5 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 63.5% fewer children

In Ethiopia, there are approximately 29.6 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 81.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Ethiopia, approximately 55% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 5.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Ethiopia, approximately 17.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Ethiopia, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 70% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 48.9% more on education

Ethiopia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.2 times more on healthcare

Ethiopia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority.

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 Ethiopia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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