Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 12.4 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 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 15.1 times more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 66.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

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

pay a 27.9% higher top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 97.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 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 Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 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 61.6% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 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 5.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% 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 4.8 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 4.4 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 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, Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea.

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.
Read more

How big is Belgium compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Belgium.or Papua New Guinea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.