Belgium vs Netherlands: Human Development Index
Belgium
0.951
in 2023
Netherlands
0.955
in 2023
Belgium rank
10th
Netherlands rank
8th
Human Development Index over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 0.955 against 0.951 in Belgium, a difference of 0.004.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Netherlands ahead.
Belgium ranks 10th and Netherlands ranks 8th of 192 countries.
Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8641 | 0.8782 | 0.0141 | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 0.9082 | 0.9086 | 0.0004 | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 0.9318 | 0.9394 | 0.0076 | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 0.9457 | 0.951 | 0.0052 | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher human development index, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 0.955 against 0.951 in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in human development index between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 0.004, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for human development index?
- Belgium ranks 10th and Netherlands ranks 8th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.