Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of Saudi Arabia, you would:

Health

live 5.2 years longer

In Saudi Arabia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (75 years for men, 78 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 37.6% less likely to be obese

In Saudi Arabia, 35.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 28.2% more money

Saudi Arabia has a GDP per capita of $49,600 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 12.9% more likely to be unemployed

In Saudi Arabia, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

Life

be 68.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 16.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 74.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Saudi Arabia, approximately 12.3 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 20.6% fewer children

In Saudi Arabia, there are approximately 13.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 14.1% less on education

Saudi Arabia spends 7.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 94.7% more on healthcare

Saudi Arabia spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 97.5% less coastline

Saudi Arabia has a total of 2,640 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 Saudi Arabia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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