Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Vietnam 11 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · Vietnam: 331,338 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Vietnam’s coastline is 52 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,444 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vietnam’s highest peak towers 2,450 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 3,144 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 39% of Vietnam
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · Vietnam: 39.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vietnam has 8.5 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Vietnam: 102 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 21% more densely populated than Vietnam
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Vietnam: 324 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 10.2 cm taller than in Vietnam
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 168.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 5.0 cm taller than in Vietnam
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Vietnam: 158.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Belgium is 9 years older than in Vietnam
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Vietnam: 32.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vietnam have 0.5 more children on average than in Belgium
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Vietnam: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Belgium are 65 or older, versus 9.5% in Vietnam
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Vietnam: 9.5% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 121,984 times as many refugees per resident as Vietnam
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Vietnam: 0.00013 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Vietnam 0.1
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · Vietnam: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Vietnam 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Vietnam: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Belgium’s economy is 41% larger than Vietnam’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Vietnam: $515 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 4.1 times as much per person as Vietnam
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Vietnam: Int$18,089 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vietnam than in Belgium (Gini 9.3 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Vietnam: 36.1 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
1.6% of people in Vietnam live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in Belgium
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · Vietnam: 1.6% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 1.5% in Vietnam
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Vietnam: 1.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Vietnam and Belgium are practically level
Belgium: 2% (2025) · Vietnam: 2.2% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium: 23% (2024) · Vietnam: no data
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 2.9× Vietnam’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Vietnam: 28% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 30 times as much on health per person as Vietnam
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Vietnam: $197 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Belgium live 7.6 years longer than in Vietnam
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Vietnam: 74.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vietnam is 3.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Belgium
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Vietnam: 12 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 3.2 times as many doctors per person as Vietnam
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Vietnam: 1.1 per 1,000 (2021)
How many hospital beds are there?
Belgium has 2.2 times as many hospital beds per person as Vietnam
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Vietnam: 2.5 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 51% higher than in Vietnam
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 2.5% in Vietnam
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Vietnam: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 21% in Vietnam
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Vietnam: 21.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.50 points higher than in Vietnam
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Vietnam: 6.43 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vietnam drink 12% more alcohol than in Belgium
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Vietnam: 10.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vietnam and Belgium are nearly identical here
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Vietnam: 60.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 835 kcal more food per person per day than Vietnam
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Vietnam: 3,086 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Vietnam put in 567 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Vietnam: 2,160 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Belgium went to school 3.7 years longer than in Vietnam
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Vietnam: 9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 10 times as many tourists per resident as Vietnam (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Vietnam: 0.08 (2015)
How many World Heritage sites?
Belgium has 7 more World Heritage sites than Vietnam (16 against 9)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · Vietnam: 9 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Belgium has won 177 Olympic medals, Vietnam 5
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · Vietnam: 5 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 84% in Vietnam
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Vietnam: 84% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Belgium is 4% faster than in Vietnam
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · Vietnam: 244 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Vietnam are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Vietnam: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Belgium live in cities, versus 39% in Vietnam
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Vietnam: 39% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vietnam has 128 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Vietnam: 128 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Belgium’s railway network is 14% longer than Vietnam’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Vietnam: 3,159 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Belgium fly 76% more passengers per resident than those from Vietnam
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Vietnam: 0.54 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Vietnam, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · Vietnam: 47.1% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Belgium emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vietnam
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Vietnam: 3.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
45% of Vietnam’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Belgium
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Vietnam: 45.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vietnam carries 2.8 times as much fine dust as in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Vietnam: 25.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Vietnam: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vietnam are 2.7 times as deadly as in Belgium
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · Vietnam: 18.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vietnam is on average 13.3 °C warmer than Belgium
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 24.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vietnam gets 2.3 times as much rain as Belgium
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vietnam: 2,132 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Vietnam?
Vietnam is larger. Belgium fits inside Vietnam 11 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Vietnam?
Vietnam has 8.5 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Vietnam?
People in Belgium live 7.6 years longer than in Vietnam. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 74.7 in Vietnam.
Are people taller in Belgium or Vietnam?
Men in Belgium are 10.2 cm taller than in Vietnam (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
