Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside France 20 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · France: 606,410 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 73 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · France: 4,853 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 4,116 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · France: 4,810 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 44% of Belgium
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · France: 52.8% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 5.8 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · France: 68.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 3.1 times as densely populated as France
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · France: 128 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Belgium and France are practically level
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · France: 178.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 1.1 cm taller than in Belgium
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · France: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 0.38 years older than in Belgium
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · France: 41.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.2 more children on average than in Belgium
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · France: 1.61 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 21% in Belgium
Belgium: 21% (2025) · France: 22.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 36% more refugees per resident than France
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belgium 8.4
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · France: 9.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, France 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · France: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 4.6 times the size of Belgium’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · France: $3.37 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 17% more per person than France
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · France: Int$63,975 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in Belgium (Gini 5 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · France: 31.8 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Belgium and France are practically level
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · France: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 5.9% in Belgium
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · France: 7.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 2% (2025) · France: 2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium and France are practically level
Belgium: 23% (2024) · France: 22.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× France’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · France: 77% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 11% more on health per person than France
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · France: $5,327 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in France live 0.68 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · France: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 9% more doctors per person than France
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
France has 4% more hospital beds per person than Belgium
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 9% higher than in France
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · France: 13.9 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 13% in France
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · France: 12.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 24% in Belgium
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · France: 33.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.34 points higher than in France
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · France: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 17% more alcohol than in Belgium
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · France: 11.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 34% more meat per person than Belgium
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · France: 80.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 432 kcal more food per person per day than France
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · France: 3,490 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Belgium put in 106 more hours a year than in France
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · France: 1,487 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 0.92 years longer than in France
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · France: 11.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 66% more tourists per resident than Belgium (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · France: 1.35 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 40 more World Heritage sites than Belgium (56 against 16)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · France: 56 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Belgium 177
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · France: 985 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 89% in France
Belgium: 96% (2024) · France: 89% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 81% faster than in Belgium
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · France: 460 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and France are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · France: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 79% in France
Belgium: 88% (2025) · France: 79% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · France: 117 (2023)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 7.7 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · France: 27,716 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 1% more passengers per resident than those from France
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · France: 0.94 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of France, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · France: 32.9% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 83% more CO₂ than someone in France
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · France: 4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · France: 26.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belgium carries 4% more fine dust than in France
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 25% more likely to be murdered in France than in Belgium
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · France: 1.3 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 12% deadlier than in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · France: 7.6 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 3.1 °C warmer than Belgium
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 25% more rain than Belgium
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than France?
France is larger. Belgium fits inside France 20 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or France?
France has 5.8 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or France?
People in France live 0.68 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 83.0 in France.
Are people taller in Belgium or France?
Belgium and France are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
