averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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the Netherlands 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 Netherlands

Belgium

The widest gap is At risk of poverty: the Netherlands 13.4% against Belgium 10.9%, 2.5 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
the Netherlands
Belgium

People

Median age0.5 years
42.6 years
42.1 years
Life expectancy at birth0.5 years
81.9 years
82.4 years
People51.8%
18m
11.9m
People per square kilometre36.1%
531 per km²
390 per km²
Women in the population0.4 points
50.2%
50.6%
Born abroad3.4 points
16.8%
20.2%
Born outside the EU0.3 points
12.4%
12.1%

Money and work

Disposable income per person10.1%
€34,466
€31,299
Average net income12.1%
€37,983
€33,873
Take-home pay, average-wage worker12.0%
€40,793
€36,414
Gross pay, average-wage worker1.8%
€60,636
€59,544
Minimum wage4.7%
€2,338
€2,234
In work, age 20 to 6410.6 points
83.4%
72.8%
Out of work2.3 points
3.9%
6.2%
Hours worked a week3.5 hours
33.0 hours
36.5 hours
At risk of poverty2.5 points
13.4%
10.9%
Housing costs over 40% of income0.2 points
6.5%
6.7%
GDP per person20.0%
€64,710
€53,930

Family and home

People at home4.8%
2.1
2.2
Households with children6.1 points
25.9%
32.0%
Children per woman0.7%
1.43
1.44
Own their home2.1 points
68.8%
70.9%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds2.42×
221 per 100,000 people
534 per 100,000 people
Doctors18.3%
397 per 100,000 people
335 per 100,000 people
Nurses4.1%
1,133 per 100,000 people
1,179 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree1.4 points
46.1%
47.5%
Students per 1,000 people15.9%
54.0 per 1,000 people
46.6 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them2.1%
€27,783
€28,373
Tax raised per person2.2%
€24,633
€24,108
Government debt63.5 points
44.4%
107.9%

Country and infrastructure

Land area21.9%
37,391 km²
30,667 km²
Railway density32.6%
89.5 per 1,000 km²
118.7 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density42.6%
82.6 per 1,000 km²
57.9 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people1.2%
519 per 1,000 people
513 per 1,000 people
Households with internet4.6 points
99.3%
94.7%
Tourist nights per resident2.14×
8.1
3.79

Environment

Renewable energy7.8 points
22.7%
14.9%
Land under forest11.1 points
10.9%
22.0%

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 Netherlands

Belgium

Function
the Netherlands
Belgium
9.3%
13.2%
3.7%
2.4%
4.3%
3.2%
9.9%
11.9%
3.6%
2.1%
1.4%
0.7%
16.4%
14.8%
2.7%
2.3%
11.5%
11.7%
37.3%
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 Netherlands and Belgium

  1. Which government owes more: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 63.5 points: Belgium 107.9%, the Netherlands 44.4%. Consolidated gross debt of the general government, against GDP. gov_10dd_edpt1 · 2025. See the figure

  2. Where are there more hospital beds per 100,000 people: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 2.42×: Belgium 534, the Netherlands 221. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_bds1 · 2025. See the figure

  3. Which has more forest: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 11.1 points: Belgium 22.0%, the Netherlands 10.9%. Share of the land area under forest. for_area · 2025. See the figure

  4. Which spends a larger share on protecting the environment: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 1.5 points: the Netherlands 3.6%, Belgium 2.1%. Waste and waste water, pollution control, biodiversity and landscape protection. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  5. Where is unemployment higher: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 2.3 points: Belgium 6.2%, the Netherlands 3.9%. Share of 15 to 74 year olds in the labour force who are without work and looking for it. une_rt_a · 2025. See the figure

  6. Where do more people live: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 51.8%: the Netherlands 18m, Belgium 11.9m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  7. Which spends a larger share of its budget on defence: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 1.3 points: the Netherlands 3.7%, Belgium 2.4%. Armed forces, defence equipment, military aid abroad, and defence research. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  8. Where is there more railway per 1,000 km²: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 32.6%: Belgium 118.7, the Netherlands 89.5. Railway line in use for every 1,000 square kilometres of the country. rail_if_line_tr · 2024. See the figure

  9. Where do more households have children: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 6.1 points: Belgium 32.0%, the Netherlands 25.9%. Share of private households with at least one dependent child. ilc_lvph02 · 2025. See the figure

  10. Where are there more university students per 1,000 people: the Netherlands or Belgium?

    The gap is 15.9%: the Netherlands 54.0, Belgium 46.6. People in higher education, per 1,000 residents. educ_uoe_enrt01 · 2024. 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.