Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.7 years longer

In Turkey, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 79 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 31.2% less likely to be obese

In Turkey, 32.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 84.9% more money

Turkey has a GDP per capita of $34,400 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 41.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Turkey, 9.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

be 14.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Turkey, 14.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Belgium, however, that number is 12.3% as of 2022.

pay a 53.4% higher top tax rate

Turkey has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 70.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Turkey, approximately 17.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

be 83.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Turkey, approximately 19.4 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 21.7% fewer children

In Turkey, there are approximately 13.8 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 12.3% more likely to have internet access

In Turkey, approximately 81.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 97.1% more on education

Turkey spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Turkey spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.1% less coastline

Turkey has a total of 7,200 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, Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey.

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 Turkey? See an in-depth size comparison.

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