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
- Belgium
- Sweden
How they compare
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.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.9% | 3.3% | 1.5% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 3.5% | 1.6% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 3.3% | 0.8% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.5% | 0.2% | Sweden |
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 Sweden?
- Sweden, at 3.6% against 3.3% in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in research & development spending as a share of gdp between Belgium and Sweden?
- 0.3%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Sweden?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Sweden rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 6th and Sweden ranks 3rd 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.