Belgium vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure

Belgium
3.3%
in 2023
United States of America
3.4%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
United States of America rank
4th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Belgium
  • United States of America
0123199620092023

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 3.4% against 3.3% in Belgium, a difference of 0.1%.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was United States of America ahead.

Belgium ranks 6th and United States of America ranks 4th of 116 countries.

United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium United States of America Difference Ahead
1990s 1.8% 2.5% 0.7% United States of America
2000s 1.9% 2.6% 0.7% United States of America
2010s 2.5% 2.8% 0.3% United States of America
2020s 3.3% 3.5% 0.1% United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Belgium or United States of America?
United States of America, at 3.4% against 3.3% in Belgium as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Belgium and United States of America?
0.1%, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and United States of America?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Belgium and United States of America rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Belgium ranks 6th and United States of America ranks 4th of 116 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Belgium vs United States of America: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/belgium/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
147 places, 3,092 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed

Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.