Country comparison
Belgium Netherlands
How do Belgium and Netherlands compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
Belgium vs Netherlands at a glance
- Belgium's surface area is smaller: about 74% of Netherlands's (30,689 km² vs 41,540 km²).
- Belgium's population is smaller: about 66% of Netherlands's (11.9M vs 18.1M).
- Belgium's GDP (total) is smaller: about 54% of Netherlands's ($725.5B vs $1.3T).
- Belgium's GDP per capita is about 82% of Netherlands's.
Belgium vs Netherlands in the world: GDP per capita
GDP per capita log axis
Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).
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BelgiumNetherlands — Belgium's GDP per capita is about 82% of Netherlands's.
| Metric | Belgium | Netherlands | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 11.9M (2025) | 18.1M (2025) | 66% |
| Population growth | 0.7% (2025) | 0.5% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Urban population share | 87.7% (2025) | 95.9% (2025) | 91% |
| Population aged 65+ | 21.0% (2025) | 20.9% (2025) | 1.0× |
| Fertility rate | 1.4 (2024) | 1.4 (2024) | 1.0× |
| Birth rate | 9.2‰ (2024) | 9.2‰ (2024) | 1.0× |
| Death rate | 9.5‰ (2024) | 9.6‰ (2024) | 99% |
| Net migration | 32K (2025) | 104.7K (2025) | 31% |
| Surface area | 30,689 km² (2023) | 41,540 km² (2023) | 74% |
| Population densityderived | 389/km² (2025) | 435/km² (2025) | 89% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $725.5B (2025) | $1.3T (2025) | 54% |
| GDP per capita | $60,750 (2025) | $73,684 (2025) | 82% |
| GNI per capita | $59,500 (2025) | $68,530 (2025) | 87% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 1.0% (2025) | 1.8% (2025) | 55% |
| Inflation rate | 2.5% (2025) | 3.3% (2025) | 76% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% (2025) | 3.9% (2025) | 1.5× |
| Gini index | 26.8 (2023) | 25.7 (2021) | 1.0× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.1% (2023) | 0.1% (2021) | 1.0× |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 75.5% (2025) | 80.7% (2025) | 94% |
| Imports share of GDP | 77.5% (2025) | 69.5% (2025) | 1.1× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 0.7% (2025) | 1.7% (2025) | 43% |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 11.2% (2025) | 10.1% (2025) | 1.1× |
| International tourist arrivals | 2.6M (2020) | 7.3M (2020) | 36% |
| Tourism receipts | $7.4B (2020) | $10.9B (2020) | 68% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 82.3 years (2024) | 82.0 years (2024) | 1.0× |
| Infant mortality | 3.1‰ (2024) | 3.4‰ (2024) | 91% |
| Under-five mortality | 3.7‰ (2024) | 3.9‰ (2024) | 95% |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 91.0% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Hospital beds | 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) | 2.2× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 10.8% (2023) | 10.0% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Secondary school enrollment | 143.0% (2023) | 137.5% (2023) | 1.0× |
| Education spending share of GDP | 6.3% (2022) | 5.2% (2022) | 1.2× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.951 (2023) | 0.955 (2023) | 100% |
| Internet users | 95.8% (2024) | 97.0% (2024) | 99% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 103.9 per 100 (2024) | 128.5 per 100 (2024) | 81% |
| Fixed broadband | 44.2 per 100 (2024) | 43.0 per 100 (2024) | 1.0× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 7.3 t (2024) | 6.6 t (2024) | 1.1× |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 86.6 Mt (2024) | 119 Mt (2024) | 73% |
| Renewable electricity share | 23.5% (2021) | 33.1% (2021) | 71% |
| Renewable energy consumption | 11.7% (2021) | 12.2% (2021) | 96% |
| Forest area | 22.6% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 2.0× |
| Agricultural land | 44.4% (2023) | 53.5% (2023) | 83% |
| Arable land | 28.3% (2023) | 30.0% (2023) | 94% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 8.4 µg/m³ (2023) | 8.6 µg/m³ (2023) | 98% |
| Military spending | 1.3% (2024) | 1.9% (2024) | 67% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Belgium
- Capital
- Brussels
- Languages
- Dutch, French, German
- Currencies
- EUR
- Subregion
- Western Europe
Netherlands
- Capital
- Amsterdam
- Languages
- Dutch
- Currencies
- EUR
- Subregion
- Western Europe
Belgium vs Netherlands in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | Belgium | Netherlands | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 11.9M (2025) | 18.1M (2025) | 66% |
| Population growth | 0.7% (2025) | 0.5% (2025) | 1.3× |
| Urban population share | 87.7% (2025) | 95.9% (2025) | 91% |
| Population aged 65+ | 21.0% (2025) | 20.9% (2025) | 1.0× |
| Fertility rate | 1.4 (2024) | 1.4 (2024) | 1.0× |
| Birth rate | 9.2‰ (2024) | 9.2‰ (2024) | 1.0× |
| Death rate | 9.5‰ (2024) | 9.6‰ (2024) | 99% |
| Net migration | 32K (2025) | 104.7K (2025) | 31% |
| Surface area | 30,689 km² (2023) | 41,540 km² (2023) | 74% |
| Population density derived | 389/km² (2025) | 435/km² (2025) | 89% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $725.5B (2025) | $1.3T (2025) | 54% |
| GDP per capita | $60,750 (2025) | $73,684 (2025) | 82% |
| GNI per capita | $59,500 (2025) | $68,530 (2025) | 87% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 1.0% (2025) | 1.8% (2025) | 55% |
| Inflation rate | 2.5% (2025) | 3.3% (2025) | 76% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% (2025) | 3.9% (2025) | 1.5× |
| Gini index | 26.8 (2023) | 25.7 (2021) | 1.0× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.1% (2023) | 0.1% (2021) | 1.0× |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 75.5% (2025) | 80.7% (2025) | 94% |
| Imports share of GDP | 77.5% (2025) | 69.5% (2025) | 1.1× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 0.7% (2025) | 1.7% (2025) | 43% |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 11.2% (2025) | 10.1% (2025) | 1.1× |
| International tourist arrivals | 2.6M (2020) | 7.3M (2020) | 36% |
| Tourism receipts | $7.4B (2020) | $10.9B (2020) | 68% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 82.3 years (2024) | 82.0 years (2024) | 1.0× |
| Infant mortality | 3.1‰ (2024) | 3.4‰ (2024) | 91% |
| Under-five mortality | 3.7‰ (2024) | 3.9‰ (2024) | 95% |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 91.0% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Hospital beds | 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) | 2.2× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 10.8% (2023) | 10.0% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Secondary school enrollment | 143.0% (2023) | 137.5% (2023) | 1.0× |
| Education spending share of GDP | 6.3% (2022) | 5.2% (2022) | 1.2× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.951 (2023) | 0.955 (2023) | 100% |
| Internet users | 95.8% (2024) | 97.0% (2024) | 99% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 103.9 per 100 (2024) | 128.5 per 100 (2024) | 81% |
| Fixed broadband | 44.2 per 100 (2024) | 43.0 per 100 (2024) | 1.0× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 7.3 t (2024) | 6.6 t (2024) | 1.1× |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 86.6 Mt (2024) | 119 Mt (2024) | 73% |
| Renewable electricity share | 23.5% (2021) | 33.1% (2021) | 71% |
| Renewable energy consumption | 11.7% (2021) | 12.2% (2021) | 96% |
| Forest area | 22.6% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 2.0× |
| Agricultural land | 44.4% (2023) | 53.5% (2023) | 83% |
| Arable land | 28.3% (2023) | 30.0% (2023) | 94% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 8.4 µg/m³ (2023) | 8.6 µg/m³ (2023) | 98% |
| Military spending | 1.3% (2024) | 1.9% (2024) | 67% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Reference facts
| Metric | Belgium | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Brussels | Amsterdam |
| Languages | Dutch, French, German | Dutch |
| Currencies | EUR | EUR |
| Subregion | Western Europe | Western Europe |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium's surface area is smaller: about 74% of Netherlands's (30,689 km² vs 41,540 km²).
Which has a larger population, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium's population is smaller: about 66% of Netherlands's (11.9M vs 18.1M).
Which economy is larger, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium's GDP (total) is smaller: about 54% of Netherlands's ($725.5B vs $1.3T).
Which has a higher GDP per capita, Belgium or Netherlands?
Belgium's GDP per capita is smaller: about 82% of Netherlands's ($60,750 vs $73,684).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with Belgium and Netherlands preselected
See Belgium and Netherlands's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between Belgium and Netherlands →
Belgium country profile: key metrics vs world median →
Netherlands country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with Belgium and Netherlands
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Surface area (sq. km) — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).