Belgium
Europe · Western Europe
Heart of the EU: strong social safety net, complex language politics, great food.
Expat
Ideal destination
At a Glance
📈Belgium's Human Development Index
0.942
Very High human development#11 of 191 countries worldwide, #9 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 95% of countries with data. UNDP Human Development Report.
UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita.
Closest indicators in this dataset
World Bank, own vintages. UNDP’s own component values are not carried here, so these are related measures rather than the index inputs.
Nearest countries by HDI
Full HDI ranking, all 191 countries →Belgium
Belgium is a small but densely layered country in the heart of Western Europe, where medieval cities like Bruges and Ghent sit alongside the modern European institutions of Brussels, and where the national obsession with beer, chocolate, and cuisine is entirely justified. The cultural divide between Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia gives the country a fascinating duality. Those who love food, art, and architecture packed into short distances will find it endlessly rewarding.
- More Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than France.
- Produces 220,000 tonnes of chocolate annually — more than most countries consume.
- Federal government went 541 days without one in 2010–11, a world record.
Quick Facts
Capital
Brussels
Languages
German, French, Dutch
Currency
€ EUR
Area
30,494 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
140Mbps
Mobile
132Mbps
GDP / Capita
$61K
PPP / Capita
$75K
Inflation
2.5%
Unemployment
5.9%
Innovation (GII)
48.5
GNI / Capita
$60K
Tax Revenue
23.0%
FDI Inflows
-4.0%
Education Spend
6.3%
Cost of Living
68.6
Price Level Index
13th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1990
0.814 → 0.942 (+0.128)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 33 annual values, none interpolated; hover any point for its year.
Twenty years here
Year by year →The world report →World Bank observations, first to last available year per indicator (roughly 2005–2024; each series has its own window).
Thinking about Belgium for real?
The matcher weighs your budget, timeline and dealbreakers against the same data on this page, then answers with the places that actually fit.
Find your match →Neighbouring Countries
Belgium head-to-head
💬Quick answers
What is Belgium's Human Development Index?
Belgium's Human Development Index is 0.942 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #11 of 191 countries.
Is Belgium safe?
Belgium scores 1.61 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #21 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Belgium?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Belgium at 68.6 (New York = 100); that is #127 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Belgium?
Life expectancy at birth in Belgium is 82.3 yrs (World Bank), ranked #24 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Belgium?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Belgium at 175.2, ranked #25 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.