The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside the United Arab Emirates 3.2 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 98,648 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United Arab Emirates’ coastline is 20 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,318 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United Arab Emirates’ highest peak towers 1,211 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 1,905 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 5.6% of the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 5.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Belgium has 4% more people than the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 11.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 2.4 times as densely populated as the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 162 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 5.0 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 174.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 2.9 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · United Arab Emirates: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 10 years older than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.2 more children on average than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 1.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 1.8% in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 21% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 1.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 131 times as many refugees per resident as the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United Arab Emirates none
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, the United Arab Emirates 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 31% larger than the United Arab Emirates’
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · United Arab Emirates: $552 billion (2024)
How much is produced per person?
The United Arab Emirates produces 6% more per person than Belgium
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: Int$79,344 (2024)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Belgium than in the United Arab Emirates (Gini 0.4 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 26.4 (2018)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Belgium and the United Arab Emirates are practically level
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 0% (2018)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 2.2% in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United Arab Emirates spends 5.6% of its GDP on the military, Belgium 2.0%
Belgium: 2% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 5.6% (2014)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, the United Arab Emirates’ 0.6%
Belgium: 23% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 0.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× the United Arab Emirates’
Belgium: 81% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 63% (2024)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 2.5 times as much on health per person as the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: $2,402 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 0.77 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 83.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United Arab Emirates is 23% more likely to die before turning one than in Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 3.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 19% more doctors per person than the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · United Arab Emirates: 3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Belgium has 2.9 times as many hospital beds per person as the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 1.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 5.4 times that in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 2.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
30% of adults in the United Arab Emirates are obese, versus 23% in Belgium
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 30.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 9.0% in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.11 points higher than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 15 times as much alcohol as in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 0.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Arab Emirates has 13% more meat per person than Belgium
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 67.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 796 kcal more food per person per day than the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 3,125 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United Arab Emirates put in 921 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 2,514 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Arab Emirates went to school 0.3 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 13 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The United Arab Emirates welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as Belgium (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 2.28 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
Belgium has 13 more World Heritage sites than the United Arab Emirates (16 against 3)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 3 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Belgium has won 177 Olympic medals, the United Arab Emirates 2
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · United Arab Emirates: 2 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in the United Arab Emirates are online, versus 96% in Belgium
Belgium: 96% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 100% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United Arab Emirates is 41% faster than in Belgium
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · United Arab Emirates: 358 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and the United Arab Emirates are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 86% in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 88% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The United Arab Emirates has 203 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 203 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 13 times as long as the United Arab Emirates’
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 279 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United Arab Emirates fly 8.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Belgium
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 7.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 22% of Belgium, but only 4.6% of the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 22% (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 4.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United Arab Emirates emits 2.8 times as much CO₂ as someone in Belgium
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 20.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 8.8% in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · United Arab Emirates: 8.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United Arab Emirates carries 6 times as much fine dust as in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · United Arab Emirates: 55.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 56% more likely to be murdered in Belgium than in the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · United Arab Emirates: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United Arab Emirates are 1% deadlier than in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · United Arab Emirates: 6.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United Arab Emirates is on average 17.8 °C warmer than Belgium
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 28.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Belgium gets 20 times as much rain as the United Arab Emirates
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Arab Emirates: 47 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates is larger. Belgium fits inside the United Arab Emirates 3.2 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or the United Arab Emirates?
Belgium has 4% more people than the United Arab Emirates (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or the United Arab Emirates?
People in the United Arab Emirates live 0.77 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 83.1 in the United Arab Emirates.
Are people taller in Belgium or the United Arab Emirates?
Men in Belgium are 5.0 cm taller than in the United Arab Emirates (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
