Life Expectancy in Belgium (2024): Men 80.3, Women 84.4

Life expectancy in Belgium since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Belgium has risen by 12.6 years, from 69.7 to 82.3. During the COVID-19 pandemic it fell by 1.3 years (from 82.0 in 2019 to 80.7 in 2020) and has since recovered. Women live 4.1 years longer than men (84.4 vs 80.3).

Expected age at death in Belgium by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	80.3	81.1	81.9	83.5	88.9
Women	84.4	85.3	86.0	87.3	91.5

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Belgium’s figures (method).

How people die in Belgium

Chronic diseases: 84.9%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 8.7%
Injuries: 6.4%

In 2019, 85% of deaths in Belgium were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Belgium man has a 11% chance and a woman 7% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 5.8 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Belgium, about 3.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Belgium compared with its region

Belgium is in the World Bank’s Europe & Central Asia region, where the average life expectancy is 79.3 years. It ranks #17 of 58 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
13	France	83.0	80.2	85.9
14	Ireland	83.0	81.4	84.7
15	Iceland	82.8	81.2	84.5
16	Portugal	82.4	79.7	85.2
17	Belgium	82.3	80.3	84.4
18	Denmark	82.3	80.4	84.2
19	Finland	82.3	79.8	85.0
20	Slovenia	82.3	79.7	85.0
21	Austria	82.0	79.8	84.3

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Belgium?

82.3 years in 2024: 80.3 for men and 84.4 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Belgium?

Yes. Women in Belgium live about 4.1 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Belgium rank for life expectancy?

Belgium ranks #30 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 8.8 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Belgium?

Life expectancy at birth (82.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Belgium can expect to live to about 81.9, and a 40-year-old woman to about 86.0.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.