Belgium vs Switzerland
Belgium vs Switzerland: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 11.2 years in Belgium and 10.9 years in Switzerland, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Belgium, by 0.3 years, or 1.02 times that in Switzerland.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Belgium has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Switzerland.
- In 2020, Belgium ranked 20 and Switzerland ranked 26 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Belgium | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11.2 | 10.9 |
| 2018 | 11.2 | 11.1 |
| 2017 | 11.1 | 11.1 |
| 2010 | 11.2 | 11.2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Belgium vs Switzerland
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Switzerland: 84 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Switzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Switzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Switzerland: 96.7% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Switzerland: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Switzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Switzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Switzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Switzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025Switzerland: 85.7% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Switzerland: 42.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Switzerland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Switzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Switzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Switzerland: $7.15B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Switzerland: $849 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Switzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Switzerland: 20,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Switzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Switzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Switzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Switzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025