Australia and Belgium Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Australia and Belgium present a striking contrast across several key indicators. Australia’s population is over twice as large, while its land area dwarfs Belgium by 258 times. Economically, Australia boasts a significantly larger GDP and higher per capita income, but faces greater income inequality. In defense, Australia spends over four times more, yet Belgium’s import economy is notably larger. Explore these comparisons to understand the distinct profiles of each nation.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	Belgium	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	11.69 million (78th)	Australia’s population is approximately 2.23 times larger than Belgium’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	0.03 million sq. km (130th)	Australia is 258 times larger than Belgium.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	583.44B USD (25th)	Australia’s total GDP is approximately 2.9 times larger than Belgium’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	49,927 USD (22nd)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 30.4% higher than Belgium’s, with Australians producing about $15,173 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	Belgium	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.942 (12th)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while Belgium’s is 0.942 (very high). Australia’s score is 0.004 higher, indicating a slightly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	65.6 (43rd)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 16.3% higher than Belgium’s, 10.6 points more.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	26 (2020 est.)	With a 32% higher Gini coefficient, Australia has a higher degree of income inequality than Belgium.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Belgium
Total imports	363.57B USD	545.47B
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	97.36%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	Netherlands 19%, Germany 12%, France 9%, US 6%, China 6%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	natural gas, refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, vaccines
Total exports	447.51B USD	535.17B
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	95.73%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	Germany 19%, France 15%, Netherlands 14%, US 6%, Italy 5%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	natural gas, vaccines, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, cars

Australia’s imports are about two-thirds of Belgium’s, and Belgium imports a whopping 77.65% more of its GDP than Australia. Australia’s exports are $447.51B, mainly coal and iron ore, while Belgium’s $535.17B exports focus on vaccines and cars, reflecting different economies.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Belgium
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	7.6B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	1.18%
Active military	59k	26k
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	2.7

Australia’s military expenditure is over four times larger than Belgium’s at $32.34 billion compared to $7.63 billion, and Australia allocates a greater percentage of its GDP to defense at 1.90% versus Belgium’s 1.18%.