Research and development expenditure in Belgium
Belgium: Research and development expenditure was 3.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Research and development expenditure in Belgium, 1996–2023
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 3.3% for research and development expenditure in 2023.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 41.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, research and development expenditure in Belgium peaked at 3.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1996.
That places Belgium 6th out of 116 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Research and development expenditure in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1.7% | — |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 1.9% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 2.0% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 2.2% | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 4 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More science & technology data for Belgium
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 103.91 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 1.03 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 12.20 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 396.38 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 0.687 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.9084 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 16,816 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0014 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is research and development expenditure in Belgium?
- Research and development expenditure in Belgium was 3.3% in 2023, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest research and development expenditure recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest research and development expenditure recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1996.
- How does Belgium rank for research and development expenditure?
- Belgium ranks 6th out of 116 countries with data for 2023.
- Is research and development expenditure rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Research and development expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development.