Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Germany 12 times.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Germany: 357,680 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Germany’s coastline is 36 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Germany’s highest peak towers 2,269 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 7 times as many people as Belgium.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Germany: 83.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 64% more densely populated than Germany.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Germany: 239 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 1.2 cm taller than in Belgium.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Germany: 180.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 2.8 cm taller than in Belgium.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Germany: 166.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 3.7 years older than in Belgium.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Germany: 45.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.1 more children on average than in Germany.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 21% in Belgium.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Germany: 23.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belgium 7.5.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Germany: 10.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Germany 1.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Germany: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 7 times the size of Belgium’s.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany and Belgium are nearly identical here.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Germany: Int$75,407 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in Belgium (Gini 6.9 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Germany: 33.7 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 3.7% in Germany.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Germany: 3.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 1.3%.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Germany: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Germany’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Germany: 80% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 15% more on health per person than Belgium.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Germany: $6,849 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 1.5 years longer than in Germany.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Germany: 80.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
Belgium and Germany are nearly identical here.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 27% more doctors per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 23% in Belgium.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Germany: 24.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 22% in Germany.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Germany: 22% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.04 points higher than in Germany.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Germany: 6.88 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 15% more alcohol than in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Germany: 10.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 18% more meat per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Germany: 70.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 387 kcal more food per person per day than Germany.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Belgium put in 258 more hours a year than in Germany.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Germany: 1,335 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 1.6 years longer than in Belgium.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Germany: 14.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 81% more tourists per resident than Germany (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Germany: 0.45 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 94% in Germany.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Germany: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Germany are practically level.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Germany: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 82% in Germany.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Germany: 82% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Germany: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 9.2 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Germany: 33,401 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Germany and Belgium are nearly identical here.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Germany: 0.96 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 23% of Belgium.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Germany: 32.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 8% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Germany: 6.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Germany: 59.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belgium carries 2% more fine dust than in Germany.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 19% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in Germany.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 39% deadlier than in Germany.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 0.8 °C warmer than Germany.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 7% more rain than Germany.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Germany?
Germany is larger. Belgium fits inside Germany 12 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Germany?
Germany has 7 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Germany?
People in Belgium live 1.5 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 80.8 in Germany.
Are people taller in Belgium or Germany?
Men in Germany are 1.2 cm taller than in Belgium (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
