Belgium vs Japan: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Belgium
3.3%
in 2023
Japan
3.4%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
Japan rank
5th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Belgium
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 3.4% against 3.3% in Belgium, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes Japan'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 Japan ahead.
Belgium ranks 6th and Japan ranks 5th of 116 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 2.8% | 0.9% | Japan |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 3.1% | 1.2% | Japan |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 3.2% | 0.7% | Japan |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0.0% | Japan |
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 Japan?
- Japan, at 3.4% against 3.3% in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Belgium and Japan?
- 0.1%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Japan?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Japan rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 6th and Japan ranks 5th 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.