Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Portugal 3 times.
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Portugal’s coastline is 27 times as long as Belgium’s.
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Portugal’s highest peak towers 1,657 m above Belgium’s.
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 11% more people than Portugal.
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 3.3 times as densely populated as Portugal.
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 4.7 cm taller than in Portugal.
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 2.2 cm taller than in Portugal.
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 4.8 years older than in Belgium.
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.0 more children on average than in Portugal.
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 21% in Belgium.
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 7.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
Belgium: 7.5 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Portugal 1.
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 2.1 times the size of Portugal’s.
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 41% more per person than Portugal.
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Portugal than in Belgium (Gini 7.1 points higher).
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Portugal and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Portugal and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 1.3% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Portugal’s.
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 2 times as much on health per person as Portugal.
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
Portugal and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 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 Portugal.
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 64% more doctors per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
Portugal and Belgium are practically level.
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 24% in Belgium.
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.90 points higher than in Portugal.
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 44% more alcohol than in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 66% more meat per person than Belgium.
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 368 kcal more food per person per day than Portugal.
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 142 more hours a year than in Belgium.
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 3 years longer than in Portugal.
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 3.3 times as many tourists per resident as Belgium (2019).
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Portugal are practically level.
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Portugal has 124 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104.
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 43% longer than Portugal’s.
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 77% more passengers per resident than those from Belgium.
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Portugal, but only 23% of Belgium.
Belgium: 22.6% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Portugal.
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium.
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 13% more fine dust than in Belgium.
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 50% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in Portugal.
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 57% deadlier than in Belgium.
Belgium: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 4.8 °C warmer than Belgium.
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 19% more rain than Portugal.
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Portugal?
Portugal is larger. Belgium fits inside Portugal 3 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Portugal?
Belgium has 11% more people than Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Portugal?
Portugal and Belgium are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in Belgium or Portugal?
Men in Belgium are 4.7 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
