Belgium vs Sweden

Belgium and Sweden compared on 10 key figures from official sources. Each value is the latest one published for that country, so the year is shown with it.

• Belgium has about 1.1 times as many people as Sweden: 11.9 million against 10.6 million in 2025.
• GDP per person in Sweden ($63,133) is 4% higher than in Belgium ($60,750) in 2025.
• The economy grew faster in Sweden (1.5%) than in Belgium (1%), a difference of 0.5 percentage points in 2025.
• Consumer prices rose faster in Belgium (2.5%) than in Sweden (0.7%), a difference of 1.8 percentage points in 2025.
• The unemployment rate was higher in Sweden (8.7%) than in Belgium (5.9%), a difference of 2.8 percentage points in 2025.
• A baby born in Sweden can expect to live 1.8 years longer than one born in Belgium: 84.1 years against 82.3 years in 2024.
• The population of Belgium is older: half of its people are over 41.4 years, against 39.9 years in Sweden in 2023.
• The same share of people used the internet in Belgium (95.8% in 2024) and Sweden (95.8% in 2025).
• CO2 emissions per person in Belgium (7.3 tonnes) are about 2 times as high as in Sweden (3.6 tonnes) in 2024.
• Forest covers a larger share of the land in Sweden (68.6%) than in Belgium (22%), a difference of 46.6 percentage points in 2024.