Belgium (Kingdom of Belgium)

Belgium Kingdom of Belgium
Status	Independent State
Capital	Brussels
Land Area	30 280km21
Location	Europe
Population	10.8m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	80.98yrs (2017)3
GNI	$41 243 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BE, BEL, 565
Internet Domain	.be6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+328

1. Overview
2. Belgium National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Peace Versus Instability
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. Children's Health
10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
11. Links

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1. Overview

#france #germany #netherlands

“Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Fabulously historic and deliciously tasty, bursting with cutting-edge art yet never really showy, gently humorous and decidedly multilingual - Belgium is a little country full of big surprises [whose] self-deprecating people have quietly spent centuries producing some of Europe's finest art and architecture. Bilingual Brussels is the dynamic yet personable EU capital, but also sports what's arguably the world's most beautiful city square. Flat, Dutch-speaking Flanders has many other alluring medieval cities, all easily linked by regular train hops. In hilly, French-speaking Wallonia, the attractions are contrastingly rural - castle villages, outdoor activities and extensive cave systems. ... Belgians create a remarkable range of edible specialities including some of the planet's most mouth-watering chocolates. Jumbo wine-soaked mussels are served up with crispy, twice-fried frites (chips). And then of course there´s the beer. Brewing is an almost mystical art in Belgium, where some of the finest ales are still created in working monasteries to age-old recipes.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Belgium National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
19	Israel	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	France	21
22	Belgium	22
23	Finland	23
24	Austria	24
25	Slovenia	25
26	Italy	26
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
	...
7	Germany	80.6
8	New Zealand	80.4
9	Iceland	80.3
10	Belgium	80.3
11	Ireland	79.4
12	Canada	79.2
13	UK	79.0
14	Austria	78.7
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#Belgium #birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
171	Canada	38.5
172	Croatia	39.7
173	Malta	39.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
127	Norway	3.8%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
22	Azerbaijan	2.16
23	Chile	1.84
24	Bangladesh	2.16
25	Belgium	1.83
26	Algeria	2.17
27	Oman	2.17
28	Argentina	2.18
29	El Salvador	2.18
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
33	Belize	15.0%
34	Latvia	15.0%
35	Sweden	14.1%
36	Belgium	13.7%
37	Estonia	13.6%
38	USA	13.5%
39	Germany	13.1%
40	Djibouti	13.0%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
23	Greece	81.07
24	Ireland	81.05
25	Finland	81.01
26	Belgium	80.98
27	UK	80.85
28	Malta	80.73
29	Slovenia	80.58
30	Denmark	80.41
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
73	Greece	11.4m
74	Rwanda	11.3m
75	Cuba	11.2m
76	Belgium	10.8m
77	Tunisia	10.7m
78	Portugal	10.7m
79	S. Sudan	10.7m
80	Czechia	10.6m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Belgium's population is predicted to rise to 11.24 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.83. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#Belgium #equality #freedom #human_rights #politics #tolerance

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Belgium leads the world, setting excellent examples. Belgium does the second-best in terms of LGBT equality₁₈. It comes in the best 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉, its Global Peace Index rating₂₀, opposing gender inequality₂₁, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂, fighting corruption₂₃ and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄. And finally, it does better than average for supporting press freedom₂₅, eliminating modern slavery₂₆, fighting anti-semitic opinions₂₇ and in the year from which women could participate in democracy₂₈ (but high for Europe). Human Rights Watch specifically states that Belgium's support of women's rights has been exemplary₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Belgium

5. Peace Versus Instability

#Belgium #extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
106	Mozambique	106
107	Poland	107
108	Ukraine	108
109	Belgium	109
110	Panama	110
111	Equatorial Guinea	111
112	Botswana	112
113	Slovakia	113
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
10	Switzerland	10
11	Canada	11
12	UK	12
13	Belgium	13
14	Italy	14
15	Spain	15
16	France	16
17	Cyprus	17
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Global Peace Index (2012)20
Pos.		Lower is better20
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Finland	1.35
10	Switzerland	1.35
11	Belgium	1.38
12	Qatar	1.40
13	Czechia	1.40
14	Sweden	1.42
15	Germany	1.42
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₂₀. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₂₀ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₂₀.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)31
Pos.		Lower is better Score31
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
95	Sweden	3.45
96	Sri Lanka	3.57
97	Canada	3.59
98	Belgium	3.64
99	Angola	3.78
100	Tunisia	3.94
101	Tajikistan	3.95
102	Uganda	3.96
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

6. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #universalism

Disbelief In God (2007)32
Pos.		Higher is better %32
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
4	Czechia	61
5	Estonia	49
6	Denmark	48
7	France	44
8	Belgium	43
9	Netherlands	42
10	Germany	42
11	UK	42
12	Cuba	40
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₃:

Christian	64.2%
Muslim	5.9%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.2%
Jew	0.3%
Unaffiliated	29%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 70.4% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (43%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%₃₄.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Belgium₃₅. Despite the large numbers of Christians, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 4%. More people don't know what to believe (33%). Even more people believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (35%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 8% believe in reincarnation.

In the second half of the 19th century Belgium began a period of secularism: the state endeavoured to create an atmosphere in which all citizens were treated equally no matter what religion they had (if any). "The radical liberals were able to implement a secularist policy with the help of an emerging socialist party. By law, they reduced the impact of the church in charitable work, in poor relief, and in allocating study grants. The cemeteries were laicized, and ultimately the state schools"₃₆. This was possible because Belgium had embraced many early forms of human rights despite the embittered opposition of Catholic Christian organisations.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

7. The Internet

#Belgium #internet #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)37
Pos.		Higher is better37
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
19	New Zealand	89%
20	USA	89%
21	Canada	89%
22	Belgium	89%
23	Czechia	88%
24	Germany	88%
25	Aruba	88%
26	Switzerland	87%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)38
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio38
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
6	Luxembourg	32.4
7	India	26.8
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #Belgium #genetics #health #mental_health #obesity #organ_donation #public_health #smoking #sociology #suicide #UK

Belgium does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Belgium comes in the best 20 in terms of number of organ donors₃₉ (one of the highest in Europe), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₀ and in its immunizations take-up₄₀. It does better than average in its adolescent birth rate₂₁. Belgium does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₄₁. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its suicide rate₄₂, its smoking rate₄₃ and in its alcohol consumption rate₄₄. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)44
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita44
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
173	Poland	11.6
174	Russia	11.7
175	Seychelles	12.0
176	Belgium	12.1
177	Portugal	12.3
178	Slovenia	12.6
179	France	12.6
180	Romania	12.7
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₄₅ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₄₆ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₄₇ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₄₈. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₄₉. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Organ Donors (At Death) (2017)39
Pos.		Higher is better pmp39
1	Spain	46.9050
2	Portugal	34.0150
3	Belgium	33.6250
4	Croatia	33.0050
5	USA	31.9651
6	Malta	30.00
7	Italy	28.50
8	France	26.84
9	Czechia	25.51
10	Austria	24.7050
11	UK	23.0552
12	Belarus	22.10
	World Avg	13.03
q=70.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
13	Australia	13
14	UAE	14
15	Saudi Arabia	15
16	Belgium	16
17	New Zealand	17
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)41
Pos.		Lower is better %41
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
134	Montenegro	59.4
135	Belarus	59.4
136	France	59.5
137	Belgium	59.5
138	Lithuania	59.6
139	Croatia	59.6
140	El Salvador	59.9
141	Dominica	60.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₅₃. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₅₄. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₅₄ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₅₅ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₅₆. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₅₇. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₅₈.

Smoking Rates (2014)43
Pos.		Lower is better43
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
173	Bosnia & Herzegovina	2 233
174	China	2 250
175	Luxembourg	2 284
176	Belgium	2 353
177	Slovenia	2 637
178	Russia	2 690
179	Macedonia	2 732
180	Lebanon	3 023
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)42
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k42
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
77	Estonia	37.9
78	Serbia	38.1
79	Finland	39
80	Belgium	39.1
81	Slovenia	44
82	Ukraine	44.8
83	Latvia	48.2
84	Japan	49.4
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

9. Children's Health

#Belgium #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)21
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100021
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
22	China	7.3
23	Greece	7.5
24	Oman	8.1
25	Belgium	8.2
26	Spain	8.4
27	Bosnia & Herzegovina	8.6
28	Saudi Arabia	8.8
29	France	8.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)40
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %40
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
16	Oman	98.0
17	Antigua & Barbuda	98.0
18	Cuba	97.9
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21	Mauritius	97.6
22	Fiji	97.6
23	Kuwait	97.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries