Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Russia 558 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 566 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 4,948 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 13% of Russia
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 12 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 45 times as densely populated as Russia
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 2.4 cm taller than in Russia
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 1.1 cm taller than in Belgium
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 2 years older than in Russia
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Belgium and Russia are practically level
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 190 times as many refugees per resident as Russia
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Russia 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 3.5 times the size of Belgium’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 51% more per person than Russia
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in Belgium (Gini 6.2 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Belgium and Russia are practically level
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 2.1% in Russia
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 2.0%
Belgium: 2% (2025) · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, Russia’s 11%
Belgium: 23% (2024) · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 2.3× Russia’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 5.9 times as much on health per person as Russia
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 8.9 years longer than in Russia
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 32% more likely to die before turning one than in Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 43% more doctors per person than Belgium
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Russia has 26% more hospital beds per person than Belgium
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 31% higher than in Belgium
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 21% in Russia
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 24% in Belgium
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 1.09 points higher than in Russia
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 9% more alcohol than in Belgium
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 41% more meat per person than Belgium
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 393 kcal more food per person per day than Russia
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 493 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 0.28 years longer than in Russia
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Russia: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 17 more World Heritage sites than Belgium (33 against 16)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Russia has won 539 Olympic medals, Belgium 177
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 94% in Russia
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · Russia: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Russia are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 75% in Russia
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 24 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 38% more passengers per resident than those from Russia
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 51% of Russia, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 69% more CO₂ than someone in Belgium
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 39% more fine dust than in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 7.2 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Belgium
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 2 times as deadly as in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Belgium is on average 13.6 °C warmer than Russia
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 58% more rain than Russia
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Belgium fits inside Russia 558 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Russia?
Russia has 12 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Russia?
People in Belgium live 8.9 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in Belgium or Russia?
Men in Belgium are 2.4 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
