Belgium vs China
Belgium vs China: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 1% a year in Belgium and 5% a year in China, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 4 percentage points, or 5.08 times that in Belgium.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Belgium.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 124 and China ranked 33 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Belgium at 1.3% a year and China at 3.3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Belgium | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 5 |
| 2024 | 1.1 | 5 |
| 2023 | 1.6 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 4 | 3.1 |
| 2021 | 6.3 | 8.6 |
| 2020 | -4.8 | 2.3 |
| 2019 | 2.4 | 6.1 |
| 2018 | 1.9 | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 1.5 | 6.9 |
| 2016 | 1.2 | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 7 |
| 2014 | 1.8 | 7.5 |
| 2013 | 0.3 | 7.8 |
| 2012 | 0.2 | 7.8 |
| 2011 | 1.9 | 9.5 |
| 2010 | 2.7 | 10.6 |
| 2009 | -1.9 | 9.4 |
| 2008 | 0.4 | 9.6 |
| 2007 | 3.7 | 14.2 |
| 2006 | 2.6 | 12.7 |
| 2005 | 2.3 | 11.4 |
| 2004 | 3.6 | 10.1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 10.1 |
| 2002 | 1.7 | 9.2 |
| 2001 | 1.1 | 8.3 |
| 2000 | 3.7 | 8.6 |
| 1999 | 3.5 | 7.8 |
| 1998 | 2 | 7.9 |
| 1997 | 3.8 | 9.3 |
| 1996 | 1.3 | 10 |
| 1995 | 2.4 | 11 |
| 1994 | 3.2 | 13.1 |
| 1993 | -1 | 13.9 |
| 1992 | 1.5 | 14.3 |
| 1991 | 1.8 | 10.2 |
| 1990 | 3.1 | 3.9 |
| 1989 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 4.7 | 11.2 |
| 1987 | 2.3 | 11.7 |
| 1986 | 1.8 | 8.9 |
| 1985 | 1.7 | 13.5 |
| 1984 | 2.5 | 15.2 |
| 1983 | 0.3 | 10.8 |
| 1982 | 0.6 | 9 |
| 1981 | -0.3 | 5.1 |
| 1980 | 4.4 | 7.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Belgium | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.7 | 4.5 |
| 2027 | 1.1 | 4 |
| 2028 | 1.2 | 4 |
| 2029 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 2030 | 1.3 | 3.3 |
| 2031 | 1.3 | 3.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belgium vs China
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025