Belarus
Europe · Eastern Europe
Europe's last dictatorship: authoritarian regime, low costs, deeply isolated since 2020.
At a Glance
📈Belarus's Human Development Index
0.801
Very High human development#68 of 191 countries worldwide, #37 of 44 in Europe.
Higher than 65% 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 →Belarus
Belarus is a flat, forested country in Eastern Europe with a landscape of birch forests, marshlands, and old Soviet-era cities that preserve a mid-20th century atmosphere found almost nowhere else. The countryside is genuinely beautiful and peaceful, and the people, once past initial reserve, are hospitable and proud of their traditions. It is a destination for those drawn to the unusual and undervisited rather than conventional tourism.
- Last country in Europe to abolish the death penalty — still uses it.
- GDP per capita is lower than every EU neighbour by a wide margin.
- President Lukashenko has held power since 1994 — longer than Putin.
Quick Facts
Capital
Minsk
Languages
Belarusian, Russian
Currency
Br BYN
Area
202,983 km²
Nomad Hub
Fixed Broadband
91Mbps
Mobile
27Mbps
GDP / Capita
$10K
PPP / Capita
$35K
Inflation
6.6%
Unemployment
3.4%
Innovation (GII)
25.1
GNI / Capita
$9K
Tax Revenue
13.0%
FDI Inflows
1.7%
Education Spend
5.0%
Cost of Living
30.5
Price Level Index
86th pct
20-Year Trend + IMF Forecast
Income & inflation over time
HDI since 1995
0.674 → 0.801 (+0.127)Year by year →UNDP Human Development Report, 2023-24 edition. 28 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).
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💬Quick answers
What is Belarus's Human Development Index?
Belarus's Human Development Index is 0.801 (UNDP Human Development Report), ranked #68 of 191 countries.
Is Belarus safe?
Belarus scores 2.22 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #114 of 160 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.
How expensive is Belarus?
Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Belarus at 30.5 (New York = 100); that is #31 cheapest of 143 countries with data.
What is life expectancy in Belarus?
Life expectancy at birth in Belarus is 74.4 yrs (World Bank), ranked #95 of 195 countries.
What is the quality of life in Belarus?
Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Belarus at 135.7, ranked #49 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.