Belgium vs Germany: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Belgium
3.3%
in 2023
Germany
3.2%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
Germany rank
9th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Belgium
- Germany
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 3.3% against 3.2% in Germany, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Germany ahead.
Belgium ranks 6th and Germany ranks 9th of 116 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 1 and Germany in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.4% | Germany |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 2.5% | 0.6% | Germany |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.9% | 0.4% | Germany |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 0.2% | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher research & development spending as a share of gdp, Belgium or Germany?
- Belgium, at 3.3% against 3.2% in Germany as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Belgium and Germany?
- 0.1%, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Germany?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Germany rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 6th and Germany ranks 9th of 116 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Research & development spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.