Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium is 39% bigger than Israel.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Israel: 22,070 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Israel’s coastline is 4.1 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Israel: 273 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Israel’s highest peak towers 1,542 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Israel: 2,236 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 18% more people than Israel.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Israel: 10.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 19% more densely populated than Belgium.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Israel: 468 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 3.1 cm taller than in Israel.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Israel: 176 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 1.2 cm taller than in Israel.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Israel: 162.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 12 years older than in Israel.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Israel: 29.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Israel have 1.4 more children on average than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 13% in Israel.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Israel: 12.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 7.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Israel 5.9.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Israel: 5.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Israel 2.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Israel: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 19% larger than Israel’s.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Israel: $611 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 25% more per person than Israel.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Israel: Int$59,717 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Israel than in Belgium (Gini 11.5 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Israel: 38.3 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 3.5% in Israel.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Israel: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 8.8% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 1.3%.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Israel: 8.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Belgium’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Israel: 101% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 51% more on health per person than Israel.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Israel: $3,928 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Israel live 0.9 years longer than in Belgium.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Israel: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Belgium is 15% more likely to die before turning one than in Israel.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 6% more doctors per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
Israel and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Israel: 23.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 21% in Israel.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Israel: 21.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Israel rate their lives 0.26 points higher than in Belgium.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Israel: 7.19 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in Israel.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Israel: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 81% more meat per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Israel: 108.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 167 kcal more food per person per day than Israel.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Israel put in 297 more hours a year than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Israel: 1,890 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 0.84 years longer than in Belgium.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Israel: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 8.5 times as many tourists per resident as Israel (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Israel: 0.1 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 88% in Israel.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Israel: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Israel are practically level.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Israel: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 88% in Belgium.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Israel: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Israel has 177 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Israel: 177 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 2.1 times as long as Israel’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Israel: 1,720 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 31% more passengers per resident than those from Israel.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Israel: 0.73 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 23% of Belgium, but only 6.5% of Israel.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Israel: 6.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 30% more CO₂ than someone in Israel.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Israel: 5.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Israel.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Israel: 16.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Israel carries 2.2 times as much fine dust as in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 50% more likely to be murdered in Israel than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 10% deadlier than in Israel.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Israel: 4.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Israel is on average 10.1 °C warmer than Belgium.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 4.5 times as much rain as Israel.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Israel?
Belgium is larger. Belgium is 39% bigger than Israel.
Which has more people, Belgium or Israel?
Belgium has 18% more people than Israel (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Israel?
People in Israel live 0.9 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 83.2 in Israel.
Are people taller in Belgium or Israel?
Men in Belgium are 3.1 cm taller than in Israel (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
