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 |
“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.”
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.
#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. |
#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:
#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:
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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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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