Belgium vs Spain development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

In terms of demography, Belgium has a birth rate of 9.4 per 1,000 people, which is higher than Spain's 6.7 (ranked 32nd globally compared to Spain's 79th). The death rate is similar, with Belgium at 9.4 and Spain at 9.0, placing both countries in the lower ranks for mortality. Life expectancy at birth shows Belgium at 82.4 years, slightly lower than Spain's 83.9 years (ranks 18 and 1 respectively), indicating that Spaniards live longer on average. Moreover, Belgium's under-5 mortality rate is 3.6 per 1,000 live births, while Spain reports a better figure of 3.1 (ranks 38 and 56 respectively). On the health provision side, Belgium excels with 5.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people, far surpassing Spain's 2.9 (ranks 2 and 4). Despite its higher hospital bed availability, Belgium faces a higher suicide mortality rate of 18.4 vs. Spain's 8.7 (ranks 3 and 21), suggesting mental health challenges are more pronounced in Belgium.

Economy

Economically, Belgium significantly leads with a GDP per capita of $55,955 in 2024 compared to Spain’s $35,297 (ranks 21 and 51 respectively). In purchasing power parity (PPP), Belgium also triumphs with $72,126 against Spain’s $56,926 (ranks 16 and 45). Both countries show high levels of export activity; Belgium’s exports of goods and services constitute 79.2% of GDP, while Spain's stands at 37.3% (ranks 39 and 98). The opposite is observed in imports, where Belgium's imports also represent 79.2% of GDP, while Spain's is only 33% (ranks 32 and 103). Thus, Belgium’s economy is characterized by a higher level of international trade, making it more export-oriented.

Trade and Investment

Belgium's boast as a significant global trading partner is evident in its high foreign direct investment net inflows, which, however, show a negative figure of -5.4% of GDP, placing it at rank 95. In contrast, Spain benefits from positive inflows at 1.9% (rank 77). This highlights Belgium's struggle in attracting foreign investment despite its strong economic indicators. The Dutch-speaking nation also shows a strong inclination toward high-technology exports totaling $50.6 billion, exceeding Spain's $25.8 billion (ranks 16 against 27), showcasing Belgium’s advanced industries.

Governance and Institutions

Governance performance indicators reveal that Belgium shows a relatively stable political landscape with a control of corruption score of 1.3, better than Spain’s 0.6 (ranks 27 and 50 respectively). Similarly, in government effectiveness, Belgium scores 1.0 compared to Spain’s 0.8 (ranks 40 and 51). The rule of law and regulatory quality also highlight Belgium's institutional strength, scoring 1.3 and 1.2 respectively against Spain’s lower scores of 0.8 and 0.7 (ranks 29, 41 versus 51, 60). However, political stability is a challenge; Belgium is ranked 69 with a score of 0.4, only marginally better than Spain's 0.3 at rank 78.

Infrastructure and Technology

Belgium records a solid logistics performance index of 4.1, reflecting high-quality trade and transport-related infrastructure, landing it in the 5th place globally, while Spain follows with 3.8 (rank 8). Internet usage is notably high in both nations, with Belgium at 94.6% and Spain marginally ahead at 95.4% (rank 19 and 14 respectively). High research and development expenditure underlines Belgium’s commitment to innovation at 3.4% of GDP, ranking it 2nd, while Spain lags far behind at only 1.4% (rank 29). This investment in R&D bodes well for Belgium’s future economic and technological advancement.

Environment and Sustainability

On the environmental front, Belgium faces high water stress, with 51.9% of available freshwater being withdrawn, placing it at rank 2 globally, while Spain experiences a lesser withdrawal rate of 43.3%, ranking 3rd. Renewable energy consumption in Belgium, at 11.7%, is significantly lower than Spain's 19% (ranks 26 and 15). Furthermore, Belgium's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are more than 1.5 times higher than Spain's, at 9 and 5.9 tons of CO2 equivalents respectively (ranks 25 and 67), indicating a larger environmental impact per individual. This data highlights Belgium's urgent need to focus on sustainability measures to improve its ecological footprint.