Belgium vs France: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 112 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing Belgium and France: Belgium leads on Refined Petroleum Products Production (731,700) against France (1.31); Belgium leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (648,600) against France (1.71); Belgium leads on Oil Consumption (622,600) against France (1.86). Across 112 compared metrics, Belgium wins on 35 and France wins on 63.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 45 metrics compared
- Environment: 5 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 4 metrics compared
- Health: 10 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 1 metric compared
- People and Society: 30 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 95.78 %★ | 88.65 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 95% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 80.12 points★ | 76.62 points | |
| Radios | 8.08 | 55.3★ | |
| Televisions | 4.72 | 34.8★ | |
| Waterways | 2,043 | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 752,840 | -6.11M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 112.08★ | 303.78 | |
| Population Distribution | most of the population is concentrated in the northern two thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world, with approximately 97% living in urban areas | much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 0.9 Cubic meters per year | 120 Cubic meters per year★ | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 18.3 | 211★ |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 22.29 %★ | 4.22 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 172.3★ | 135.5 | |
| Agricultural land | 13,716.58 sq. km | 281,003.2 sq. km★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 66.5 km | 4,853 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 12.18 cubic meters per inhabitant | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | |
| Irrigated Land | 57 | 14,236★ |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 88.74 %★ | 82.08 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 3 | 18★ | |
| Independence | 4 | no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 8.27★ | 10.5 | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 5.9 | 6.5★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 11 % of GDP | 12.3 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | NA | 0.3 % | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 5.5 people/sq km | 6 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 4 %★ | 7 % | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 29.2★ | 28.9 | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 22.1 % | 21.6 %★ | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | NA | 190,000 | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | 1 | NA |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 24,000 | 304,000★ |
People and Society
30 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 50.3 % | 52.51 %★ | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.77★ | 0.76 | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.77 years | 86.69 years★ | |
| Median age of population | 42.19 years | 42.51 years★ | |
| Population Change | 7,999.1 persons | 62,507.4 persons★ | |
| Population density | 390.59 per sq. km | 121.19 per sq. km★ | |
| Total population | 11.78M persons | 66.75M persons★ | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.95★ | 0.8 | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A-B | A-B | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 9.09 % | 10.88 %★ | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 66.7 % | NA | |
| Death Rate (%) | 9.55 %★ | 9.91 % | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 6.3 % of GDP★ | 5.3 % of GDP | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 2.54M persons | 13.97M persons★ | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 5.42 | 31.73★ | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 11.22 years | 11.25 years★ | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 120 days | 180 days★ | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 2.12 people | 11.21 people★ | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 181.7★ | 179.74 | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 19★ | 18 | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | 18 | generally 17-30 years of age for both men and women with some variations by service, position, and enlisted versus officer; 17-40 for National Gendarmerie; basic service contract is for 12 months; no conscription (abolished 2001) (2025) note 1: a 10-month | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 79.32 %★ | 62.53 % | |
| Physician Density | 6.53 people/sq km★ | 3.28 people/sq km | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.45 %★ | 0.2 % | |
| Population living in slums | 0 % | 0 % | |
| Total deaths | 116,107.9 persons★ | 607,731.9 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 66.05 % | 70.02 %★ | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.29 per woman | 1.56 per woman★ | |
| Total net-migration | 30,580.2 persons | 66,501.8 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 3.23 per live births★ | 3.49 per live births |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.32 | 1.35★ | |
| Airports | 48 | 1,218★ | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 1★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | 47 | 195★ | |
| Heliports | 112 | 405★ |