averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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Belgium and the European Union

The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.

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Belgium

the European Union

The widest gap is At risk of poverty: the European Union 16.3% against Belgium 10.9%, 5.4 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
Belgium
the European Union

People

Median age2.8 years
42.1 years
44.9 years
Life expectancy at birth0.9 years
82.4 years
81.5 years
People37.92×
11.9m
450.6m
People per square kilometre3.55×
390 per km²
110 per km²
Women in the population0.4 points
50.6%
51.0%
Born abroad5.8 points
20.2%
14.4%
Born outside the EU1.7 points
12.1%
10.4%

Money and work

Disposable income per person36.4%
€31,299
€22,939
Average net income30.5%
€33,873
€25,952
Take-home pay, average-wage worker21.6%
€36,414
€29,954
Gross pay, average-wage worker36.4%
€59,544
€43,658
In work, age 20 to 643.3 points
72.8%
76.1%
Out of work0.2 points
6.2%
6.0%
Hours worked a week0.8 hours
36.5 hours
37.3 hours
At risk of poverty5.4 points
10.9%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income1.0 points
6.7%
7.7%
GDP per person29.3%
€53,930
€41,700

Family and home

People at home4.5%
2.2
2.3
Households with children3.3 points
32.0%
28.7%
Children per woman7.5%
1.44
1.34
Own their home2.4 points
70.9%
68.5%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds5.3%
534 per 100,000 people
507 per 100,000 people
Doctors11.5%
335 per 100,000 people
374 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree10.6 points
47.5%
36.9%
Students per 1,000 people9.9%
46.6 per 1,000 people
42.4 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them44.0%
€28,373
€19,707
Tax raised per person48.8%
€24,108
€16,198
Government debt26.2 points
107.9%
81.7%

Country and infrastructure

Land area137.77×
30,667 km²
4,225,104 km²
Railway density2.42×
118.7 per 1,000 km²
49.1 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density3.11×
57.9 per 1,000 km²
18.6 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people13.8%
513 per 1,000 people
584 per 1,000 people
Households with internet0.1 points
94.7%
94.8%
Tourist nights per resident77.6%
3.79
6.73

Environment

Renewable energy11.3 points
14.9%
26.2%

Where €100 of public spending goes

Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.

Belgium

the European Union

Function
Belgium
the European Union
13.2%
12.4%
2.4%
3.0%
3.2%
3.5%
11.9%
10.8%
2.1%
1.7%
0.7%
1.5%
14.8%
15.0%
2.3%
2.4%
11.7%
9.7%
37.7%
40.0%

Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.

Frequently asked: Belgium and the European Union

  1. Which covers more ground: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 137.77×: the European Union 4,225,104, Belgium 30,667. Total area of the country, inland water included. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  2. Where do more people live: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 37.92×: the European Union 450.6m, Belgium 11.9m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  3. Which is more crowded: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 3.55×: Belgium 390, the European Union 110. People per square kilometre of that total area. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  4. Where is there more railway per 1,000 km²: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 2.42×: Belgium 118.7, the European Union 49.1. Railway line in use for every 1,000 square kilometres of the country. rail_if_line_tr · 2024. See the figure

  5. Where does more energy come from renewables: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 11.3 points: the European Union 26.2%, Belgium 14.9%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  6. Where is more tax raised per resident: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 48.8%: Belgium €24,108, the European Union €16,198. Taxes and net social contributions received by general government, per resident. gov_10a_taxag · 2025. See the figure

  7. Where is the risk of poverty higher: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 5.4 points: the European Union 16.3%, Belgium 10.9%. Share living on less than 60% of the national median equivalised income. ilc_li02 · 2025. See the figure

  8. Where do more adults hold a degree: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 10.6 points: Belgium 47.5%, the European Union 36.9%. Share of adults whose highest completed education is a university or other tertiary degree. edat_lfse_03 · 2025. See the figure

  9. Where are there more doctors per 100,000 people: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 11.5%: the European Union 374, Belgium 335. Practising doctors, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_phys · 2024. See the figure

  10. Where do more households have children: Belgium or the European Union?

    The gap is 3.3 points: Belgium 32.0%, the European Union 28.7%. Share of private households with at least one dependent child. ilc_lvph02 · 2025. See the figure

Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.