averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

Side by side

the European Union and Belgium

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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the European Union

Belgium

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
the European Union
Belgium

People

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

Money and work

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

Family and home

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

Health and daily life

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

Education

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

Public spending

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

Country and infrastructure

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

Environment

Renewable energy11.3 points
26.2%
14.9%

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.

the European Union

Belgium

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

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

Frequently asked: the European Union and Belgium

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

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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. Which government spends more per resident: the European Union or Belgium?

    The gap is 44.0%: Belgium €28,373, the European Union €19,707. Total general government expenditure divided by the population: all levels of government together. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

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

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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: the European Union or Belgium?

    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.