Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.0 years longer

In Latvia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (71 years for men, 81 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

make 68.3% more money

Latvia has a GDP per capita of $37,800 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 15.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Latvia, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 45.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Latvia, 22.5% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

pay a 2.3 times higher top tax rate

Latvia has a top tax rate of 23.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 72.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Latvia, approximately 18.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 34.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Latvia, approximately 4.8 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 30.1% more children

In Latvia, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 11.7% more on education

Latvia spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 48.0% more on healthcare

Latvia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 86.6% less coastline

Latvia has a total of 498 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, Service Public Fédéral Finances.

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 Latvia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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