Belgium Kingdom of Belgium
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	18th best
Capital	Brussels
Land Area	30 280km²₁
Location	Europe
Population	11.5m₂
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

#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

#economics #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.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2011)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Qatar	$129 916
2	Singapore	$78 162
3	Kuwait	$76 075
	...
20	Austria	$43 609
21	Australia	$42 822
22	Canada	$42 582
23	Belgium	$41 243
24	Finland	$38 868
25	France	$38 085
26	UK	$37 931
27	Japan	$37 268
	World Avg	$17 240
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃_,₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃_,₁₄
1	Norway	30.8
2	Denmark	31.8
3	Sweden	33.9
	...
15	Australia	42.1
16	Japan	43.2
17	Ireland	43.7
18	Belgium	44.6
19	Spain	45.5
20	France	45.6
21	S. Korea	46.7
22	Slovenia	48.3
	World Avg	88.0
q=195.

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: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Belgium's Demographics

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

Population:

Belgium's population is predicted to fall to 11 242 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. 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.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
75	Rwanda	12.3m
76	Tunisia	11.6m
77	Benin	11.5m
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
80	Cuba	11.3m
81	Burundi	11.2m
82	Haiti	11.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
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.

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.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₆
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.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
53	Belarus	11.4%
54	Montenegro	11.3%
55	Ukraine	11.2%
56	Belgium	11.1%
57	Greece	10.9%
58	Malta	10.6%
59	Italy	10.0%
60	Gambia	9.8%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₈
Pos.		%₁₈
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.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Belgium #equality #freedom #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₉_,₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉_,₂₀
1	Sweden	9.9
2	Denmark	14.7
3	Norway	15.5
	...
11	Finland	25.2
12	France	25.9
13	Australia	26.0
14	Belgium	26.1
15	Germany	26.8
16	Uruguay	26.9
17	UK	27.9
18	Taiwan	28.2
q=199.

When it comes to ensuring human rights and freedom, Belgium leads the world, setting excellent examples. Belgium does the best in terms of freethought₂₁. It does the second-best when it comes to LGBT equality₂₂. It comes in the best 20 for commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₃, opposing gender inequality₂₄, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅ and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆. And finally, it does better than average for supporting press freedom₂₇, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₈ and in speed of uptake of HR treaties₂₉. Human Rights Watch specifically states that Belgium's support of women's rights has been exemplary₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Belgium

5. Belgium's Health

#alcohol #Belgium #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Health (2020)₃₁_,₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁_,₃₂
1	Hong Kong	18.0
2	Singapore	41.5
3	Maldives	43.3
	...
38	UAE	76.6
39	Antigua & Barbuda	77.7
40	Myanmar (Burma)	78.3
41	Belgium	78.4
42	Eritrea	78.4
43	Nepal	78.6
44	Bahrain	79.0
45	India	79.1
46	Cyprus	79.3
	World Avg	92.3
q=187.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₃₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and Europe₃₁, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₃₁.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020)

Health:

Belgium does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Belgium comes in the best 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₃ and in its immunizations take-up₃₄. It does better than average in its adolescent birth rate₂₄, its average life expectancy₁₂ and in its fertility rate₁₅ (but bad for Europe). Belgium does not succeed in everything, however. It falls into the worst-performing 20 for its suicide rate₃₅, its smoking rate₃₆ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₇. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
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.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₇
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.

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.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₆
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
177	Slovenia	2 637
176	Belgium	2 353
175	Luxembourg	2 284
174	China	2 250
173	Bosnia & Herzegovina	2 233
172	Czechia	2 194
171	Kazakhstan	2 157
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₅
Pos.		Per 100k₃₅
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.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
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)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₈
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.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₄
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)₃₄
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₄
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.

6. Belgium's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #research #science #technology #the_internet

Modernity and Learning (2020)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Finland	8.0
2	Belgium	9.1
3	Denmark	10.0
4	Sweden	13.3
5	Australia	14.8
6	Switzerland	14.9
7	Estonia	14.9
8	Czechia	15.5
9	New Zealand	15.6
10	UK	15.8
11	Ireland	16.4
12	Norway	16.6
13	Germany	17.1
	World Avg	69.0
q=180.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₄₀
2	Israel	4.11₄₀
3	Japan	3.58₄₀
	...
9	Switzerland	2.96₄₁
10	Germany	2.84₄₀
11	USA	2.74₄₂
12	Belgium	2.46₄₀
13	Slovenia	2.39₄₀
14	France	2.26₄₀
15	Australia	2.25₄₃
16	Singapore	2.00₄₂
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better₄₄
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
49	Netherlands	88.3%
50	Cuba	87.4%
51	Poland	85.3%
52	Belgium	84.8%
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
55	France	83.5%
56	Sri Lanka	82.8%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2018)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₅
1	Australia	22.1
2	Belgium	19.7
3	Finland	19.3
4	Iceland	19.2
5	Denmark	19.1
6	New Zealand	18.8
7	Sweden	18.8
8	Ireland	18.8
9	Norway	18.1
10	Netherlands	18.0
11	Spain	17.9
12	Argentina	17.6
	World Avg	13.2
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
4	Denmark	4
5	UK	5
6	Austria	6
7	Finland	7
8	Netherlands	8
9	Belgium	9
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₆
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₆
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
17	Norway	1513
18	Denmark	1513
19	Poland	1511
20	Belgium	1508
21	Vietnam	1507
22	Australia	1507
23	UK	1499
24	Portugal	1491
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

IQ (2006)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
18	Finland	99
19	Estonia	99
20	Sweden	99
21	Belgium	99
22	Canada	99
23	Andorra	98
24	Czechia	98
25	Spain	98
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better₄₈
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)₄₉
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₄₉
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.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₀
Pos.		Lower is better₅₀
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
	...
65	Kyrgyzstan	54.9
66	Taiwan	55.3
67	Honduras	55.5
68	Belgium	56.6
69	Cameroon	59.0
70	S. Sudan	59.3
71	Colombia	59.3
72	Brazil	62.7
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2012-2016)₅₁
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score₅₁
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
12	Germany	79.6
13	Iceland	79.2
14	UK	78.0
15	Belgium	76.0
16	Hong Kong	75.6
17	Japan	74.2
18	USA	74.0
19	Ireland	72.6
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Happiness (2018)₅₂
Pos.		Higher is better₅₂
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
	...
13	Costa Rica	7.1
14	Ireland	7.0
15	Germany	7.0
16	Belgium	6.9
17	Luxembourg	6.9
18	USA	6.9
19	UK	6.8
20	UAE	6.8
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
6	Denmark	6
7	Austria	7
8	Ireland	8
9	Czechia	9
10	Luxembourg	10
11	UK	11
12	Portugal	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
6	Serbia	6
7	Belgium	7
8	Norway	8
9	Finland	9
10	Croatia	10
11	Georgia	11
12	Philippines	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

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

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₃
Pos.		Lower is better₅₃
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
	...
17	Germany	1.48
18	Croatia	1.48
19	Hungary	1.49
20	Belgium	1.50
21	Netherlands	1.51
22	Bhutan	1.51
23	Malaysia	1.52
24	Poland	1.52
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
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)₃₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₃
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.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₄
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.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #the_environment

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₅
Pos.		Higher is better₅₅
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
12	Spain	78.4
13	Germany	78.4
14	Norway	77.5
15	Belgium	77.4
16	Italy	77.0
17	New Zealand	76.0
18	Netherlands	75.5
19	Israel	75.0
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better₅₆
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
	...
60	Jordan	09.09
61	Slovenia	08.85
62	Sweden	08.62
63	Belgium	08.47
64	Guatemala	08.47
65	India	08.40
66	Cameroon	08.33
67	Australia	08.20
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
162	Laos	1996 Dec 19
163	Haiti	1996 Dec 24
164	Croatia	1997 Jan 05
165	Belgium	1997 Feb 20
166	Dominican Rep.	1997 Feb 23
167	Turkey	1997 May 15
168	Gabon	1997 Jun 12
169	Burundi	1997 Jul 14
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment (2011)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₇
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
100	Israel	27.6%
101	Palestine	27.5%
102	Saudi Arabia	27.2%
103	Belgium	26.9%
104	Syria	26.6%
105	Qatar	26.5%
106	Bahrain	26.3%
107	S. Africa	26.2%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₈
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
	...
23	Cyprus	3.60
22	Montenegro	3.60
21	Estonia	3.60
20	Belgium	3.60
19	Switzerland	3.50
18	Greece	3.50
17	Portugal	3.50
16	Ireland	3.40
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₅₉
Pos.		Lower is better %₅₉
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
9	Kazakhstan	27.5
10	Norway	27.5
11	Algeria	27.6
12	Belgium	27.7
13	Iceland	27.8
14	Denmark	28.2
15	Netherlands	28.2
16	Serbia	28.5
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

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

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₀
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₀
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 below₆₁:

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%₆₂.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Belgium₆₃. 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"₆₄. This was possible because Belgium had embraced many early forms of human rights despite the embittered opposition of Catholic Christian organisations.

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