Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 12.6% less likely to be obese

In Ireland, 25.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 12.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Ireland, 14.0% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

make 45.0% less money

Ireland has a GDP per capita of $115,600 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 27.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Ireland, 4.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 11.9% higher top tax rate

Ireland has a top tax rate of 48.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Expenditures

spend 2.2 times more on education

Ireland spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 56.3% more on healthcare

Ireland spends 7.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 95.4% less coastline

Ireland has a total of 1,448 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, The Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

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 Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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