Belgium vs United States: Research & development spending as a share of GDP
Belgium
3.3%
in 2023
United States
3.4%
in 2023
Belgium rank
6th
United States rank
4th
Research & development spending as a share of GDP over time
- Belgium
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 3.4% against 3.3% in Belgium, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes United States'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 United States ahead.
Belgium ranks 6th and United States ranks 4th of 116 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 2.5% | 0.7% | United States |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 2.6% | 0.7% | United States |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.8% | 0.3% | United States |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.5% | 0.1% | United States |
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 United States?
- United States, 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 United States?
- 0.1%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and United States?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and United States rank globally for research & development spending as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 6th and United States ranks 4th 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.