Health in Belgium
Belgium
Health data overview for the Kingdom of Belgium
Population
11 712 893 (2023)
Current health expenditure (% of GDP)
11.04 (2021)
WHO region
Europe
World Bank income level
High income (HIC)
Population
Current Population
Belgium, 2023
11.7M
11,712,893 people
Age 0-14 Years
Belgium, 2023
7.5%
Percentage of population aged 0–14 years.
Age 15-64 Years
Belgium, 2023
70.2%
Percentage of population aged 15–64 years.
Age 65+ Years
Belgium, 2023
22.3%
Percentage of population aged 65 years and older.
Population
Belgium, 2000 - 2050
Life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth
The average number of years that a newborn could expect to live.
Belgium, by sex, 2000 - 2021.
Leading Causes of Death (2021)
| Rank | Cause of Death | Deaths per 100,000 Population (Belgium, 2021) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ischaemic heart disease | 99.6 |
| 2 | COVID-19 | 88.3 |
| 3 | Alzheimer disease and other dementias | 65.1 |
| 4 | Lower respiratory infections | 58.6 |
| 5 | Stroke | 56.4 |
| 6 | Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers | 52 |
| 7 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 50.4 |
| 8 | Colon and rectum cancers | 25.4 |
| 9 | Kidney diseases | 22.1 |
| 10 | Breast cancer | 20.5 |
Risk factors
Hypertension
Belgium, 2019
30% [25.3% – 34.9%]
−0.6 percentage points • improving since 2018
Age-standardized prevalence of hypertension among adults aged 30–79 years (%).
Tobacco Use
Belgium, 2022
26.7% [20.7% – 32.8%]
Age-standardized prevalence of tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and older (%).
Adult Obesity
Belgium, 2022
20% [17.1% – 23.2%]
+0.3 percentage points • worsening since 2021
Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults (18+ years) (%).
Children & Adolescents Obesity
Belgium, 2022
6.5% [4.4% – 9.1%]
+0 percentage points • worsening since 2021
Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years (%).
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