Belgium vs World: Research and development expenditure

Belgium
3.3%
in 2023
World
2.6%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
World rank
6th

Research and development expenditure over time

  • Belgium
  • World
0123199620092023

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 3.3% against 2.6% in World, a difference of 0.7%.

That makes Belgium's figure about 1.3 times World's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was World ahead.

Belgium ranks 6th and World ranks 6th of 116 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and World in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium World Difference Ahead
1990s 1.8% 2.0% 0.2% World
2000s 1.9% 2.0% 0.1% World
2010s 2.5% 2.1% 0.4% Belgium
2020s 3.3% 2.5% 0.8% Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher research and development expenditure, Belgium or World?
Belgium, at 3.3% against 2.6% in World as of 2023.
What is the difference in research and development expenditure between Belgium and World?
0.7%, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and World?
28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
How do Belgium and World rank globally for research and development expenditure?
Belgium ranks 6th and World ranks 6th 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 World: Research and development expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/research-and-development-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/belgium/world/

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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.