Belgium vs Netherlands: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 112 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

Comparing Belgium and Netherlands: Belgium leads on Oil Consumption (622,600) against Netherlands (1.01); Belgium leads on Refined Petroleum Products Production (731,700) against Netherlands (1.28); Belgium leads on Refined Petroleum Products Exports (680,800) against Netherlands (2.41). Across 112 compared metrics, Belgium wins on 40 and Netherlands wins on 60.

  • 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🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)94.63 %97.01 %
Internet Userspercent of population: 95% (2023 est.)percent of population: 97% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score80.12 points88.64 points
Radios8.0815.3
Televisions4.728.1
Waterways2,0436,237

Economy

45 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country4.31B $15.60B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars742.86B $1.34T $
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)0 %0 %
Coal Revenue00
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)2.08 %1.33 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)10.3 % of GDP10 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index7594.3
Electricity Consumption82.16108.8
Electricity Exports8.4719.34
Electricity from Fossil Fuels3575
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants10
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels281
Electricity from Other Renewables3623
Electricity Imports14.6524.26
Electricity Installed Capacity21.5634.17
Electricity Production79.83109.3
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)190.42 USD per capita185.54 USD per capita
Gini Index Coefficient26.425.7
Gross Fixed Investment22.116.6
Gross National Saving24.531.2
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)-0.6 %-1.5 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)3.1 %3.3 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)2 % of GDP2.5 % of GDP
Natural Gas Consumption17.6143.38
Natural Gas Exports736.251.25
Natural Gas Imports18.0951
Natural Gas Production045.33
Natural Gas Proved Reserves0801.4
Oil Consumption622,6001.01
Oil Exports353,0001.87
Oil Imports1.012.58
Oil Production11,22059,490
Oil Proved Reserves0310
Population Below Poverty Line12.3 people14.5 people
Public Debt92.556.5
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)1 USD1 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption648,600954,500
Refined Petroleum Products Exports680,8002.41
Refined Petroleum Products Imports601,4002.15
Refined Petroleum Products Production731,7001.28
Remittances2.30.4
Revenue from Forest Resources0.020.01
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)0.040.1
Taxes and Other Revenues22.724.8
Unemployment Rate5.5 %3.6 %

Environment

5 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)752,840-2.23M
Carbon Dioxide Emissions112.08188.19
Population Distributionmost 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 areasan area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, but sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country0.9 Cubic meters per year4.5 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources18.391

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization22.29 %21.23 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)172.355.13
Agricultural land13,716.58 sq. km17,883.7 sq. km
Coastline Length (km)66.5 km451 km
Dam capacity per capita12.18 cubic meters per inhabitant502.73 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land572,969

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Rule of Law Index by Country88.74 %92.54 %
Administrative Divisions312
Independence426
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

10 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)8.279.42
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)5.95
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)11 % of GDP11.3 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence RateNA0.1 %
Hospital Bed Density5.5 people/sq km2.9 people/sq km
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)4 %4 %
Mean Age at First Birth29.230.2
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)22.1 %20.4 %
People Living With HIV/AIDSNA24,000
Underweight Children Under 51NA

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)24,00041,000

People and Society

30 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Currently married (Percent)50.3 %53.17 %
Human Capital Index0.770.79
Life expectancy at birth84.77 years84.31 years
Median age of population42.19 years41.39 years
Population Change7,999.1 persons110,181.7 persons
Population density390.59 per sq. km550.26 per sq. km
Total population11.78M persons18.46M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.950.76
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsA-BB-C
Birth Rate (%)9.09 %10.68 %
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate66.7 %73 %
Death Rate (%)9.55 %9.7 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)6.3 % of GDP5.2 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age2.54M persons4.03M persons
Labor Force Participation Rate5.4210.32
Learning-adjusted years of school11.22 years11.56 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother120 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population2.12 people1.17 people
Mean Male Height (cm)181.7182.54
Military Manpower at Military Age1920
Military Service Age and Obligation1817
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization79.32 %84.91 %
Physician Density6.53 people/sq km3.88 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.45 %0.3 %
Population living in slums0 %0 %
Total deaths116,107.9 persons166,908.2 persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)66.05 %68.26 %
Total fertility rate1.29 per woman1.35 per woman
Total net-migration30,580.2 persons108,456.8 persons
Under-five mortality rate3.23 per live births3.41 per live births

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇧🇪 Belgium🇳🇱 NetherlandsShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.321.7
Airports4844
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)00
Civil Air Travel4798
Heliports112194

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