R&D spending share of GDP in Belgium
Spending on research and development in Belgium was equal to 3.27% of GDP in 2023.
Belgium, 2023
3.27%
Change from 2022
+0.08percentage points
European Union, 2023
2.26%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2023
1.56%
Position in 2023
7th of 84
R&D spending share of GDP in Belgium over time
View
Belgium
European Union
×
The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of GDP. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Belgium | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.27% | 2.26% |
| 2022 | 3.20% | 2.23% |
| 2021 | 3.41% | 2.24% |
| 2020 | 3.37% | 2.28% |
| 2019 | 3.15% | 2.21% |
| 2018 | 2.86% | 2.17% |
| 2017 | 2.68% | 2.14% |
| 2016 | 2.53% | 2.10% |
| 2015 | 2.43% | 2.10% |
| 2014 | 2.36% | 2.10% |
| 2013 | 2.32% | 2.08% |
| 2012 | 2.27% | 2.06% |
| 2011 | 2.16% | 2.00% |
| 2010 | 2.06% | 1.96% |
| 2009 | 1.99% | 1.96% |
| 2008 | 1.94% | 1.87% |
| 2007 | 1.85% | 1.79% |
| 2006 | 1.82% | 1.80% |
| 2005 | 1.79% | 1.78% |
| 2004 | 1.82% | 1.79% |
| 2003 | 1.84% | 1.82% |
| 2002 | 1.90% | 1.79% |
| 2001 | 2.03% | 1.82% |
| 2000 | 1.94% | 1.76% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- That is a change of +0.08 percentage points from 3.20% in 2022.
- Since 2013, when it was 2.32%, the figure has changed by +0.95 percentage points.
- Among the 84 countries with data for 2023, Belgium has the 7th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2023 was 2.26%.
More for Belgium
All statistics for Belgium
R&D spending share of GDP
3.34%p (Provisional)
2025 · Eurostat
Researchers per million people
5,990 per million people
2023 · World Bank
Researchers as a share of the labour force
1.52%e (Estimated)
2024 · Eurostat
European patent applications
214.4p (Provisional) per million people
2025 · Eurostat
Scientific and technical journal articles
16,816 articles
2023 · World Bank