GeoRealityMatch
View of Brussels' iconic Palais de Justice with parked cars and urban landscape.A striking blend of modern and classic architecture in downtown Brussels, Belgium.

Belgium

Europe · Western Europe

Very high safetyExpensive cost of livingVery high development

It is one of the most peaceful countries, and people live long. Living costs are high.

ExpatCombines very high development and very high safety.
vs Francevs Netherlandsvs Luxembourg
Safety

21st most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
1.608lower is more peacefulVery high safety
#21 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
1.1per 100,000 people a yearLowUNODC / World Bank · 2021
Safety index
50.8Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferModerateNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes above the European median

Median disposable income
€31,299per adult, a year, after tax and transfersHigh
Eurostat · 2025
Rent index
23.8New York = 100ExpensiveNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
6.1years of median income to buy a median flatVery affordableNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 57% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 15% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$40K$80K$74,676 PPP$60,750Inflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $38,705 a person, $35,251 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2007, $44,319 a person, $36,798 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2008, $48,303 a person, $37,883 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2009, $44,923 a person, $37,906 at PPP2010, $44,197 a person, $39,840 at PPP, inflation 2.2%2011, $47,761 a person, $41,245 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2012, $44,874 a person, $42,484 at PPP, inflation 2.8%2013, $46,965 a person, $43,864 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2014, $47,996 a person, $45,148 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2015, $40,894 a person, $46,072 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2016, $41,855 a person, $48,415 at PPP, inflation 2%2017, $44,035 a person, $50,256 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2018, $47,487 a person, $52,467 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2019, $46,717 a person, $56,712 at PPP, inflation 1.4%2020, $45,906 a person, $56,120 at PPP, inflation 0.7%2021, $51,658 a person, $60,669 at PPP, inflation 2.4%2022, $50,639 a person, $68,879 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2023, $55,245 a person, $72,630 at PPP, inflation 4%2024, $56,582 a person, $74,225 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2025, $60,750 a person, $74,676 at PPP, inflation 2.5%$0$40K$80KInflation, % a year10%0200620102015202020252006, $38,705 a person, $35,251 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2007, $44,319 a person, $36,798 at PPP, inflation 1.8%2008, $48,303 a person, $37,883 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2009, $44,923 a person, $37,906 at PPP2010, $44,197 a person, $39,840 at PPP, inflation 2.2%2011, $47,761 a person, $41,245 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2012, $44,874 a person, $42,484 at PPP, inflation 2.8%2013, $46,965 a person, $43,864 at PPP, inflation 1.1%2014, $47,996 a person, $45,148 at PPP, inflation 0.3%2015, $40,894 a person, $46,072 at PPP, inflation 0.6%2016, $41,855 a person, $48,415 at PPP, inflation 2%2017, $44,035 a person, $50,256 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2018, $47,487 a person, $52,467 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2019, $46,717 a person, $56,712 at PPP, inflation 1.4%2020, $45,906 a person, $56,120 at PPP, inflation 0.7%2021, $51,658 a person, $60,669 at PPP, inflation 2.4%2022, $50,639 a person, $68,879 at PPP, inflation 9.6%2023, $55,245 a person, $72,630 at PPP, inflation 4%2024, $56,582 a person, $74,225 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2025, $60,750 a person, $74,676 at PPP, inflation 2.5%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the longest-lived countries

Life expectancy
82.3years, at birthVery high
#24 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
86WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
9.6PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageLowWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Around the European middle for youth unemployment

Youth unemployment
17.4%share of 15 to 24 year olds in the labour forceModerate
Eurostat · 2025
Home internet
140 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
608EF English Proficiency Index scoreVery highEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet140 MbpsVery fast
Mobile132 MbpsFast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

A striking blend of modern and classic architecture in downtown Brussels, Belgium.
How it changed

Belgium's Human Development Index

0.951Very high human development

10th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 8th of 44 in Europe.

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. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #7Australia0.958
  2. #8Netherlands0.955
  3. #10Belgium0.951
  4. #11Ireland0.949
  5. #12Finland0.948
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.824 in 1990 to 0.951 in 2023.

0.800.901.000.95119902000201020231990: 0.8241991: 0.8291992: 0.8451993: 0.8601994: 0.8681995: 0.8751996: 0.8811997: 0.8841998: 0.8861999: 0.8892000: 0.8942001: 0.8992002: 0.9012003: 0.9032004: 0.9092005: 0.9112006: 0.9132007: 0.9162008: 0.9172009: 0.9192010: 0.9212011: 0.9232012: 0.9232013: 0.9252014: 0.9302015: 0.9332016: 0.9362017: 0.9402018: 0.9422019: 0.9452020: 0.9392021: 0.9482022: 0.9452023: 0.9510.800.901.0019902000201020231990: 0.8241991: 0.8291992: 0.8451993: 0.8601994: 0.8681995: 0.8751996: 0.8811997: 0.8841998: 0.8861999: 0.8892000: 0.8942001: 0.8992002: 0.9012003: 0.9032004: 0.9092005: 0.9112006: 0.9132007: 0.9162008: 0.9172009: 0.9192010: 0.9212011: 0.9232012: 0.9232013: 0.9252014: 0.9302015: 0.9332016: 0.9362017: 0.9402018: 0.9422019: 0.9452020: 0.9392021: 0.9482022: 0.9452023: 0.951

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
82.3 years2024at birthUp 3.3 years from 79 years in 2005
Internet users
96%2024of people onlineUp 34 points from 62% in 2006
Urban population
88%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 4 points from 84% in 2006
Births per woman
1.442024births per womanDown 0.32 from 1.76 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
12%2021of energy usedUp 10 points from 2% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
32024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 1 from 4 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
7.3 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 4 t from 11.4 t in 2005
Forest area
23%2023of land under forestLevel with 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Heart of the EU: strong social safety net, complex language politics, great food. The case for living here is peace, long lives and wide access to essential health services. The case against is a high cost of living.

About 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.

Practical facts

  • CapitalBrussels
  • LanguagesGerman, French, Dutch
  • Currencyeuro (EUR)
  • Area30,494 km²
  • Plug typeType C/E
  • Drives on theright
Weigh Belgium against your priorities
Every figure

Everything we hold on Belgium

Compare Belgium

Borders

FranceGermanyLuxembourgNetherlands

Side by side

vs Francevs Netherlandsvs LuxembourgCompare any two countries

Quick answers

What is Belgium's Human Development Index?

Belgium's Human Development Index is 0.951 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #10 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Belgium safe?

Belgium scores 1.61 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #21 of 161 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.