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Belgium vs. Netherlands

Demographics

BelgiumNetherlands
Population11,778,842 (July 2021 est.)17,337,403 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 17.22% (male 1,033,383/female 984,624)

15-24 years: 11.2% (male 670,724/female 642,145)

25-54 years: 39.23% (male 2,319,777/female 2,278,450)

55-64 years: 13.14% (male 764,902/female 775,454)

65 years and over: 19.21% (male 988,148/female 1,263,109) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 16.11% (male 1,425,547/female 1,358,894)

15-24 years: 11.91% (male 1,049,000/female 1,008,763)

25-54 years: 38.47% (male 3,334,064/female 3,313,238)

55-64 years: 13.69% (male 1,177,657/female 1,188,613)

65 years and over: 19.82% (male 1,558,241/female 1,866,380) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 41.6 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 42.8 years (2020 est.)
total: 42.8 years

male: 41.6 years

female: 44 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.59% (2021 est.)0.37% (2021 est.)
Birth rate11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)10.98 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.82 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 81.65 years

male: 79.02 years

female: 84.4 years (2021 est.)
total population: 81.95 years

male: 79.72 years

female: 84.3 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.78 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rateNA0.2% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Belgian(s)

adjective: Belgian
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective: Dutch
Ethnic groupsBelgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)Dutch 76.9%, EU 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.3%, Indonesian 2.1%, German 2.1%, Surinamese 2%, Polish 1%, other 4.8% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDSNA24,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
ReligionsRoman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)Roman Catholic 23.6%, Protestant 14.9% (includes Dutch Reformed 6.4%, Protestant Church of The Netherlands 5.6%, Calvinist 2.9%), Muslim 5.1%, other 5.6% (includes Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish), none 50.7% (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deathsNA<100 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
LanguagesDutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Dutch (official); note - Frisian is an official language in Fryslan province; Frisian, Low Saxon, Limburgish, Romani, and Yiddish have protected status under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; Dutch is the official language of the three special municipalities of the Caribbean Netherlands; English is a recognized regional language on Sint Eustatius and Saba; Papiamento is a recognized regional language on Bonaire

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 20 years

male: 19 years

female: 21 years (2018)
total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2018)
Education expenditures6.4% of GDP (2017)5.2% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 98.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 92.6% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021)1.158 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.012 million Rotterdam (2021)
Maternal mortality rate5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures10.3% (2018)10% (2018)
Physicians density3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)3.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)3.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate22.1% (2016)20.4% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth29.2 years (2019 est.)30.1 years (2019 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate66.7% (2018)73% (2013)

note: percent of women aged 18-45
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 57

youth dependency ratio: 26.7

elderly dependency ratio: 30.2

potential support ratio: 3.3 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 55.6

youth dependency ratio: 24.4

elderly dependency ratio: 31.2

potential support ratio: 3.2 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook