Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.0 years less

In Japan, the average life expectancy is 85 years (82 years for men, 88 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 5.1 times more likely to be obese

In Japan, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 37.4% more money

Japan has a GDP per capita of $46,300 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 23.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Japan, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

Life

have 56.5% more children

In Japan, there are approximately 6.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 25.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Japan, approximately 4.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 67.9% more likely to die during infancy

In Japan, approximately 1.9 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.

Expenditures

spend 97.1% more on education

Japan spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.8% less coastline

Japan has a total of 29,751 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 Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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