Belgium vs Netherlands: Government spending by function
Belgium
37.7%
in 2023
Netherlands
37.6%
in 2023
Belgium rank
13th
Netherlands rank
14th
Government spending by function over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 37.7% against 37.6% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 13th and Netherlands ranks 14th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and Netherlands in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.7% | 34.3% | 0.4% | Belgium |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 37.4% | 1.4% | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 36.5% | 1.6% | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Belgium, at 37.7% against 37.6% in Netherlands as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 0.1%, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for government spending by function?
- Belgium ranks 13th and Netherlands ranks 14th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.