Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Norway 20 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · Norway: 624,500 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 378 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Norway’s highest peak towers 1,775 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 2.7% of Norway
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · Norway: 2.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 2.1 times as many people as Norway
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Norway: 5.61 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 25 times as densely populated as Norway
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Norway: 15 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 1.4 cm taller than in Belgium
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Norway: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 3.0 cm taller than in Belgium
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Norway: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 1.9 years older than in Norway
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Norway: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Norway and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 19% in Norway
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Norway: 19.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 42% more refugees per resident than Belgium
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Belgium 8.4
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · Norway: 23.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium and Norway are practically level
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Norway: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 37% larger than Norway’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Norway: $531 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 39% more per person than Belgium
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Norway: Int$104,044 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Belgium than in Norway (Gini 0.3 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Norway: 26.5 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Norway and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · Norway: 0.2% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 4.6% in Norway
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Norway: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 2.0%
Belgium: 2% (2025) · Norway: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Norway’s central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, Belgium’s 23%
Belgium: 23% (2024) · Norway: 24.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Belgium’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Norway: 91% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 40% more on health per person than Belgium
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Norway: $8,296 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 0.86 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Norway: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Belgium is 55% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 39% more doctors per person than Belgium
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Belgium has 64% more hospital beds per person than Norway
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 30% higher than in Norway
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 21% in Norway
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Norway: 20.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 13% in Norway
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Norway: 12.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 0.32 points higher than in Belgium
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Norway: 7.24 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 37% more alcohol than in Norway
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Norway: 7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Norway has 17% more meat per person than Belgium
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Norway: 70.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 446 kcal more food per person per day than Norway
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Belgium put in 181 more hours a year than in Norway
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Norway: 1,412 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 0.43 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Norway: 13.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Norway welcomed 12% more tourists per resident than Belgium (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Norway: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Belgium has 8 more World Heritage sites than Norway (16 against 8)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · Norway: 8 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Norway has won 616 Olympic medals, Belgium 177
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · Norway: 616 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 96% in Belgium
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Belgium is 11% faster than in Norway
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · Norway: 228 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Norway are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Norway: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 84% in Norway
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Norway: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Norway has 109 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Norway: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Norway’s railway network is 8% longer than Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Norway: 3,885 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Norway: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Norway, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · Norway: 33.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 9% more CO₂ than someone in Norway
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Norway: 6.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Norway: 99% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Belgium carries 39% more fine dust than in Norway
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 49% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in Norway
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 2.3 times as deadly as in Norway
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 9.4 °C warmer than Norway
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 36% more rain than Belgium
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Norway?
Norway is larger. Belgium fits inside Norway 20 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Norway?
Belgium has 2.1 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Norway?
People in Norway live 0.86 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 83.2 in Norway.
Are people taller in Belgium or Norway?
Men in Norway are 1.4 cm taller than in Belgium (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
