Belgium vs Sweden: Research & development spending as a share of GDP

Belgium

3.3%

in 2023

Sweden

3.6%

in 2023

Belgium rank

6th

Sweden rank

3rd

Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time

Sweden currently reports 3.6% against 3.3% in Belgium, a difference of 0.3%.

That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.

Across all 24 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.

Belgium ranks 6th and Sweden ranks 3rd of 116 countries.

Indicator: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Unit: % of GDP
Source: UNESCO UIS Stat Bulk Data Download Service, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 116 places, 2,375 data points, 1996–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Includes basic research, applied research, and experimental development.