Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 16.0 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 3.8 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 21.2 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $3,000 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 63.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 14.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 67.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

pay a 79.0% higher top tax rate

Rwanda has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 98.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 259.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 87.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 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 59.2% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 97.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 51% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 3.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 20.9% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% 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 76.3% more on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 52.1% more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

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

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 Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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