Belgium vs Netherlands: Researchers per million inhabitants
Belgium
5,990 FTE
in 2023
Netherlands
6,563 FTE
in 2023
Belgium rank
10th
Netherlands rank
8th
Researchers per million inhabitants over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 6,563 FTE against 5,990 FTE in Belgium, a difference of 573 FTE.
That makes Netherlands's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 10th and Netherlands ranks 8th of 103 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and Netherlands in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,669 FTE | 2,454 FTE | 215.76 FTE | Belgium |
| 2000s | 3,212 FTE | 2,891 FTE | 321.08 FTE | Belgium |
| 2010s | 4,508 FTE | 4,737 FTE | 229.36 FTE | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 5,750 FTE | 6,171 FTE | 421.76 FTE | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher researchers per million inhabitants, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 6,563 FTE against 5,990 FTE in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in researchers per million inhabitants between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 573 FTE, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for researchers per million inhabitants?
- Belgium ranks 10th and Netherlands ranks 8th of 103 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Researchers per million inhabitants (FTE). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release