Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Guatemala 3.5 times.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Guatemala: 108,890 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Guatemala’s coastline is 6 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Guatemala: 400 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Guatemala’s highest peak towers 3,526 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Guatemala: 4,220 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Guatemala has 56% more people than Belgium.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Guatemala: 18.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 2.2 times as densely populated as Guatemala.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Guatemala: 174 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 14.7 cm taller than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Guatemala: 164.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 12.5 cm taller than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Guatemala: 150.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 19 years older than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Guatemala: 22.6 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Guatemala have 0.8 more children on average than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Guatemala: 2.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 5.0% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Guatemala: 5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 7.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Guatemala 1.1.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Guatemala: 1.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Guatemala 1.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Guatemala: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 5.9 times the size of Guatemala’s.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Guatemala: $123 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 4.9 times as much per person as Guatemala.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Guatemala: Int$15,197 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Guatemala than in Belgium (Gini 18.4 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Guatemala: 45.2 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 2.6% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Guatemala: 2.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Belgium spends 1.3% of its GDP on the military, Guatemala 0.4%.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Guatemala: 0.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× Guatemala’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Guatemala: 43% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 15 times as much on health per person as Guatemala.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Guatemala: $392 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 9.6 years longer than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Guatemala: 72.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Guatemala is 5.5 times as likely to die before turning one as in Belgium.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Guatemala: 17.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 2.8 times as many doctors per person as Guatemala.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Guatemala: 1.3 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Guatemala are obese, versus 23% in Belgium.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Guatemala: 26.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 11% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Guatemala: 11.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.39 points higher than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Guatemala: 6.53 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 3.1 times as much alcohol as in Guatemala.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Guatemala: 3.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Belgium has 11% more meat per person than Guatemala.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Guatemala: 54.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 1,098 kcal more food per person per day than Guatemala.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Guatemala: 2,823 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Guatemala put in 557 more hours a year than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Guatemala: 2,151 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 6.8 years longer than in Guatemala.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Guatemala: 5.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 9.7 times as many tourists per resident as Guatemala (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Guatemala: 0.08 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 60% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Guatemala: 60% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Belgium have electricity, versus 91% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Guatemala: 90.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 56% in Guatemala.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Guatemala: 56% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Guatemala has 113 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Guatemala: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 4.5 times as long as Guatemala’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Guatemala: 800 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 80 times as many passengers per resident as those from Guatemala.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Guatemala: 0.01 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Guatemala, but only 23% of Belgium.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Guatemala: 32.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 6.7 times as much CO₂ as someone in Guatemala.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Guatemala: 1.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Guatemala’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Guatemala: 68.3% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Guatemala carries 3 times as much fine dust as in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Guatemala: 27.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 22 times as likely to be murdered in Guatemala as in Belgium.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Guatemala: 23.4 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Guatemala are 2.7 times as deadly as in Belgium.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Guatemala: 12.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Guatemala is on average 12.6 °C warmer than Belgium.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Guatemala: 23.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Guatemala gets 2 times as much rain as Belgium.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Guatemala: 1,811 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Guatemala?
Guatemala is larger. Belgium fits inside Guatemala 3.5 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Guatemala?
Guatemala has 56% more people than Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Guatemala?
People in Belgium live 9.6 years longer than in Guatemala. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 72.7 in Guatemala.
Are people taller in Belgium or Guatemala?
Men in Belgium are 14.7 cm taller than in Guatemala (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
