Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside China 312 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · China: 9,562,910 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 218 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · China: 14,500 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 8,155 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · China: 8,849 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 42% of China
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · China: 41.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 118 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · China: 1.41 billion (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 2.6 times as densely populated as China
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · China: 150 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 3.4 cm taller than in China
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · China: 175.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
China and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · China: 163.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 2.4 years older than in China
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · China: 39.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.4 more children on average than in China
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · China: 1.01 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 15% in China
Belgium: 21% (2025) · China: 14.9% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 95,455 times as many refugees per resident as China
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · China: 0.00016 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · China: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, China 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · China: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 27 times the size of Belgium’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · China: $19.5 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 2.5 times as much per person as China
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · China: Int$29,333 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Belgium (Gini 9.2 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · China: 36 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Belgium and China are practically level
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · China: 0% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 4.6% in China
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · China: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Belgium and China are practically level
Belgium: 2% (2025) · China: 1.7% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, China’s 7.0%
Belgium: 23% (2024) · China: 7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.7× China’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · China: 47% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 7.8 times as much on health per person as China
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · China: $763 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 4.3 years longer than in China
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · China: 78 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 32% more likely to die before turning one than in Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 15% more doctors per person than China
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
China has 4% more hospital beds per person than Belgium
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 89% higher than in China
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · China: 8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 9.1% in China
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · China: 9.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 23% in China
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · China: 22.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.85 points higher than in China
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · China: 6.07 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 2.6 times as much alcohol as in China
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · China: 3.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 23% more meat per person than Belgium
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · China: 73.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 394 kcal more food per person per day than China
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · China: 3,527 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 735 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · China: 2,328 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 4.7 years longer than in China
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · China: 8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 17 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · China: 0.05 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
China has 45 more World Heritage sites than Belgium (61 against 16)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · China: 61 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
China has won 819 Olympic medals, Belgium 177
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · China: 819 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 92% in China
Belgium: 96% (2024) · China: 92% (2025)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in China is 43% faster than in Belgium
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · China: 364 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and China are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · China: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 66% in China
Belgium: 88% (2025) · China: 66% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · China: 132 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 30 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · China: 109,767 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from China
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · China: 0.44 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 24% of China, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · China: 24% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 19% more CO₂ than someone in Belgium
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · China: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · China: 37% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.4 times as much fine dust as in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.2 times as likely to be murdered in Belgium as in China
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · China: 0.5 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 3.6 times as deadly as in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · China: 24.7 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 3.2 °C warmer than China
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 14% more rain than China
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than China?
China is larger. Belgium fits inside China 312 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or China?
China has 118 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or China?
People in Belgium live 4.3 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 78.0 in China.
Are people taller in Belgium or China?
Men in Belgium are 3.4 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
