Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Finland 11 times.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Finland: 338,480 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Finland’s coastline is 19 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Finland’s highest peak towers 634 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 2.1 times as many people as Finland.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Finland: 5.65 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 21 times as densely populated as Finland.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Finland: 19 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 1.5 cm taller than in Belgium.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Finland: 180.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 3.1 cm taller than in Belgium.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Finland: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 1.3 years older than in Belgium.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Finland: 42.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.2 more children on average than in Finland.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 21% in Belgium.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Finland: 24.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belgium 7.5.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Finland: 8.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Finland 2.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Finland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Finland’s.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Finland: $317 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 13% more per person than Finland.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Finland: Int$65,885 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Finland than in Belgium (Gini 0.6 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Finland: 27.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 5.9% in Belgium.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Finland: 9.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 1.3%.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Finland: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Belgium’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Finland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 8% more on health per person than Finland.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Finland: $5,515 (2023)
How long do people live?
Finland and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Finland: 82.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Belgium is 63% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland and Belgium are nearly identical here.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 23% in Belgium.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Finland: 26.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 21% in Finland.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Finland: 21.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.84 points higher than in Belgium.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Finland: 7.76 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 2% more alcohol than in Finland.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Finland: 9.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 16% more meat per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Finland: 69.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 576 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Belgium put in 96 more hours a year than in Finland.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Finland: 1,497 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 0.29 years longer than in Belgium.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Finland: 13 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 2% more tourists per resident than Finland (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Finland: 0.8 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Finland: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Finland are practically level.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Finland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Finland: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Finland has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Finland: 126 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 64% longer than Belgium’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Finland: 5,918 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Belgium.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Finland: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 23% of Belgium.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Finland: 73.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 37% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Finland: 5.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Finland: 56.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belgium carries 72% more fine dust than in Finland.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 10% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in Finland.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Finland: 1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 10% deadlier than in Finland.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 7.5 °C warmer than Finland.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 22% more rain than Finland.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Finland?
Finland is larger. Belgium fits inside Finland 11 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Finland?
Belgium has 2.1 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Finland?
Finland and Belgium are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 82.3 in Finland.
Are people taller in Belgium or Finland?
Men in Finland are 1.5 cm taller than in Belgium (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
