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Netherlands vs. Belgium

Demographics

NetherlandsBelgium
Population17,337,403 (July 2021 est.)11,778,842 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 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.)
0-14 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.)
Median agetotal: 42.8 years

male: 41.6 years

female: 44 years (2020 est.)
total: 41.6 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 42.8 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.37% (2021 est.)0.59% (2021 est.)
Birth rate10.98 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)4.58 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: 1.01 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.)
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: 1.02 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.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 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.)
total: 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.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 81.95 years

male: 79.72 years

female: 84.3 years (2021 est.)
total population: 81.65 years

male: 79.02 years

female: 84.4 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.78 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.2% (2020 est.)NA
Nationalitynoun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)

adjective: Dutch
noun: Belgian(s)

adjective: Belgian
Ethnic groupsDutch 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.)Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS24,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
NA
ReligionsRoman 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.)Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<100 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
NA
LanguagesDutch (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.
Dutch (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.
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2018)
total: 20 years

male: 19 years

female: 21 years (2018)
Education expenditures5.2% of GDP (2017)6.4% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 92.6% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 98.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.38% 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 - population1.158 million AMSTERDAM (capital), 1.012 million Rotterdam (2021)2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021)
Maternal mortality rate5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures10% (2018)10.3% (2018)
Physicians density3.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density3.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate20.4% (2016)22.1% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth30.1 years (2019 est.)29.2 years (2019 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate73% (2013)

note: percent of women aged 18-45
66.7% (2018)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 55.6

youth dependency ratio: 24.4

elderly dependency ratio: 31.2

potential support ratio: 3.2 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 57

youth dependency ratio: 26.7

elderly dependency ratio: 30.2

potential support ratio: 3.3 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook