Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 22.2 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 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 33.9% more likely to be obese

In Swaziland, 16.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.0 times more money

Swaziland has a GDP per capita of $10,600 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 85.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 37.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 79.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Swaziland, 58.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

pay a 62.7% higher top tax rate

Swaziland has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 98.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Swaziland, approximately 437.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 92.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Swaziland, approximately 39.6 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 51.6% fewer children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 22.3 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 21.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 82% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Belgium, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 54.2% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 59.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

be 24.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 75% 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 34.0% more on education

Swaziland spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 70.8% more on healthcare

Swaziland spends 6.5% 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: Swaziland Revenue Authority, 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.
Read more

How big is Belgium compared to Swaziland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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