Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 1.8 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (79 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 38.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

be 40.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 3.6 times higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

have 42.1% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 25.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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.

Expenditures

spend 67.5% more on education

Hong Kong spends 4.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 90.9% less coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 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, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong.

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 Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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