Belgium

Overview

Belgium lands at #61 of 72 on the Cooked Index — #61 Most Cooked. The clearest fault line runs through political institutions: political polarization (Polarization 55/100) is worse than 26% of countries tracked. Healthcare financing isn't far behind — catastrophic health spending trails 54% of the field. And housing policy rounds out the picture: housing cost burden (19% cost-burdened by housing) sits worse than 14% of countries. Same scoreboard, different departments.

At 16/100, Belgium is 11 points below the median of 27 across all 72 countries (higher = more cooked). Where the system is holding up: billionaires hoarded (4 billionaires) — better than 71% of countries tracked. Strip away the country name and you're really looking at a political institutions problem.

Sources: V-Dem + Global Peace Index (2025) · WHO / World Bank SDG 3.8.2 (2024) · OECD Affordable Housing Database (HC1.2) (2024)